Meaning & use
Champlain
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproper
Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer and mapmaker who founded Quebec City in 1608.
Grammar: Always capitalised; usually used with the full name or just the surname: Champlain founded Quebec.
Patterns
- Samuel de Champlain
Champlain sailed up the St. Lawrence River in 1608.
Schoolchildren in Canada learn that Champlain drew detailed maps of the coast.
Champlain built a small settlement at the foot of the cliff.
proper nounproper
A large lake on the border between New York, Vermont and Quebec, named after the explorer.
Grammar: Usually appears as Lake Champlain.
Patterns
- Lake Champlain
We spent a weekend sailing on Lake Champlain.
Lake Champlain freezes over in the coldest winters.
Ferries cross Lake Champlain between Vermont and New York.
Common combinations
- Lake Champlain
- The family rented a cabin beside Lake Champlain.
- Samuel de Champlain
- Samuel de Champlain explored large parts of eastern Canada.
- Champlain's map
- Champlain's map of the coast was remarkably accurate.
- Champlain Valley
- Apple orchards are common in the Champlain Valley.
Commonly confused: Champlain or Cartier?
Champlain vs Cartier
Jacques Cartier was an earlier French explorer who sailed to Canada in the 1530s, before Champlain founded Quebec.
Practice
What did Champlain found in 1608?
Choose one answer.
Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City in 1608. Montreal was founded later by other French settlers, and Halifax and Boston were British settlements.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Champlain”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.