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Why Dictionary.com chose duende
More about duende
- In the sense of “a goblin or spirit,” first recorded in 1685鈥�95.
- In the highlighted sense, first recorded in 1955鈥�60.
- Comes from Spanish and is shortened from duen de (casa), 鈥渕aster of (the house)鈥� with duen聽a variant of 诲耻别帽辞, meaning 鈥渓ord; owner鈥� from Latin dominus “to control.”
EXAMPLES OF DUENDE
- The flamenco dancer captivated the audience with their mesmerizing duende.
- The old bookstore had an enchanting duende that made visitors feel like they were stepping into another world.
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
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Why Dictionary.com chose prink
More about prink
- First recorded in 1570鈥�80.
- May be related to prank, in the sense of “to dress or adorn in an ostentatious manner.”
- Prank came from the Dutch word pronken, meaning “to show off, strut.”
EXAMPLES OF PRINK
- After hours of prinking in front of the mirror, he was finally ready for the party.
- The costume designer helped the actor prink in elaborate period attire for the play.
defenestrate
[ dee-fen-uh-streyt ]
Show IPA
verb
to throw a thing out of a window.
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Why Dictionary.com chose defenestrate
More about defenestrate
- First recorded in 1900鈥�05.
- A back formation from defenestration, “the act of throwing a thing out of a window.”
- Formed from the Latin word fenestr(a), meaning 鈥渨indow.鈥�
EXAMPLES OF DEFENESTRATE
- During the heated argument, he threatened to defenestrate his laptop.
- The mischievous cat managed to defenestrate several objects from the second-floor apartment.
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