Reference meaning
Dunkirk
Last updated
a crisis in which a desperate effort is the only alternative to defeat
Other meanings
2. noun
a seaport in northern France on the North Sea; scene of the evacuation of British forces in 1940 during World War II
3. noun
an amphibious evacuation in World War II (1940) when 330,000 Allied troops had to be evacuated from the beaches in northern France in a desperate retreat under enemy fire
Source and scope
This definition is reproduced from Princeton WordNet 3.0, sense 14032868-n, under the WordNet 3.0 License. It has not yet received VocabularyBase editorial review. Read the source and license details.