Trafalgar, Battle of
Syllabification: (Tra·fal·gar, Bat·tle of)
Pronunciation: /trəˈfalgər/
Definition of Trafalgar, Battle of
- a decisive naval battle fought on October 21, 1805, off the cape of Trafalgar on the south coast of Spain during the Napoleonic Wars. The British fleet under Horatio Nelson (who was killed in the action) defeated the combined fleets of France and Spain, which were attempting to clear the way for Napoleon’s projected invasion of Britain.