rarehistoricalwhacky
Defenestration
dee-fen-uh-STRAY-shun
noun
The act of throwing someone or something out of a window.
Etymology
From New Latin *defenestratio*, from Latin *de-* (out of) + *fenestra* (window). The word was coined specifically to describe a pivotal moment in Czech history known as the Defenestrations of Prague.
Usage Examples
- —“The defenestration of the old computer was perhaps an overreaction to the software crash.”
- —“Medieval politics sometimes ended in defenestration rather than debate.”
- —“The cat's favorite game seemed to involve the defenestration of any small objects left on the windowsill.”
Fun Fact
There have been three famous Defenestrations of Prague! The most famous occurred in 1618 when Protestant nobles threw two Catholic governors and their secretary out of a window of Prague Castle. Remarkably, all three survived the 70-foot fall—Catholics claimed angels saved them, while Protestants pointed to the large pile of manure below the window.