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Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th
God Save the Queen
▪ I. God Save the Queen [God Save the Queen] BrE NAmE
the British ↑national anthem. It is not known who wrote the words or the music, but it was already a traditional song in the 18th century. When the country has a king, the word ‘Queen’ is replaced by ‘King’. The song has several verses, but usually only the first verse is sung: God save our gracious Queen, Long live our noble Queen, God save the Queen. Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us; God save the Queen.
▪ II. ˌGod ˌSave the ˈKing/ˈQueen 7 BrE NAmE noun uncountable
the British national ↑anthem (= song)
Word Origin:
[God Save the King/Queen] evidence suggests a 17th-cent. origin for the complete words and tune of the British national anthem. The ultimate origin is obscure: the phrase “God save the King” occurs in various passages in the Bible, while as early as 1545 it was used as a sign for safe conduct in the navy, with the reply “long to reign over us.”
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