John Paul Jones
/ˌdʒɒn pɔːl ˈdʒəʊnz/
/ˌdʒɑːn pɔːl ˈdʒəʊnz/
- (1747-92) an American navy officer during the American Revolution, originally from Scotland. He was known for attacking British ships near the English coast. On one occasion in 1799, when his own ship was badly damaged and he was ordered by the British commander to surrender, he replied, ‘Sir, I have not yet begun to fight!’ He then captured the British ship before his own ship sank. After the war, Jones served in the Russian navy and then lived in Paris until his death. He is buried in the US Navy church in Annapolis, Maryland.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
John Paul Jones