Defenestration is the action of throwing someone (or something) out of a window. It can also be used to describe the process or action of removing someone from a position of authority or power.
You can defenestrate someone or be defenestrated.
Defenestration is early 17th century in origin, stemming from de- meaning ‘down from’ and the Latin fenestra meaning ‘window’.
The word is thought to have been coined around the time of the Defenestration of Prague in 1618. The incident at Prague Castle saw two Catholic governors and their scribe thrown from windows by Protestant citizens. The defenestration helped to start the Thirty Years War.
[…] Defenestration An interesting word. […]
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This is one of my favorite words. Fenster is another good one- a creepy person, as one who peeks into windows.
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That’s one I have never heard or seen – very interesting, thanks!
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*Remove the errant “to” – geez…words is hard.
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A professor I had once included in her syllabus that she would defenestrate our phones if we used them in class, which makes me wonder if it can be applied to objects as well as people.
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Yes, it can apply to objects too. I’ve updated the post to make that clear – thanks. 🙂
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The three survived, owing to the miraculous hand of God, if you listen to the Catholics and a strategically placed dungheap if you are a protestant. The ground does slope away at that point.
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It’s a shame the victims of the first defenestration in 1419 weren’t so lucky!
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One thinks they would have put up a warning sign or handrail, those crazy Bohemians
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I’m trying to use this as a writing prompt for something interesting. Think…think…I should be working…
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Good luck – I’m sure you will come up with something!
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Maybe, or maybe this is will be the challenge to finally defenestrating my over-inflated writing ego from it’s lofty perch.
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