John Smith
/ˌdʒɒn ˈsmɪθ/
/ˌdʒɑːn ˈsmɪθ/
- (c. 1579-1631) an English colonist (= a person who establishes a colony, an area settled and controlled by people from another country) in America. He was one of the early colonists in Virginia, and was president of the North American colony from 1608 to 1609. In 1614 he explored New England, and gave it its name. He traded goods with Native Americans, and is best known for the story that his life was saved by the Native-American princess Pocahontas.
- (1938-94) a Scottish Labour politician. He became Leader of the Opposition in 1992. In 1993 he was responsible for changing the way decisions are made in the Labour Party by giving each party member and trade union member one vote. Before that, the unions had always voted for all their members. When he died Tony Blair became leader of the Labour Party.
Check pronunciation:
John Smith