The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Dunkerque \Dunkerque\ prop. n.
   the name of a town and a battle fought there, in World War II
   (1940) when 330,000 Allied troops had to be evacuated from
   the beaches at Dunkirk in a desperate retreat under enemy
   fire. Most of the forces were safely evacuated to England.

   Syn: Dunkirk.
        [WordNet 1.5]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

Dunkerque
    n 1: a seaport in northern France on the North Sea; scene of the
         evacuation of British forces in 1940 during World War II
         [syn: Dunkirk, Dunkerque]
    2: an amphibious evacuation in World War II (1940) when 330,000
       Allied troops had to be evacuated from the beaches in
       northern France in a desperate retreat under enemy fire [syn:
       Dunkirk, Dunkerque]