Robinson Crusoe
Preserved but no longer current.
Defoe's novel (1719) is founded on the adventures of Alexander Sel- kirk (1676-1723), a buccaneer who, at his own request, was marooned, in 1704, on the un- inhabited island of Juan Fernandez, off the coast of Chile. He remained there for over four years, being finally rescued by Captain Woodes Rogers in 1709.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Robinson Crusoe” mean?
Defoe's novel (1719) is founded on the adventures of Alexander Sel- kirk (1676-1723), a buccaneer who, at his own request, was marooned, in 1704, on the un- inhabited island of Juan Fernandez, off the coast of Chile. He remained there for over four years, being finally rescued by Captain Woodes Rogers in 1709.
Is “Robinson Crusoe” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.