Defenestration is a rare word, yet a lot of people know it. It often appears on lists of 'favourite words' or even 'words most searched for on Google'. There's something about the word that captures the imagination. It's probably the meaning. It means 'the act of throwing out of a window'.
The most famous defenestration in history was the Defenestration of Prague in 1618, when Bohemian insurgents threw a couple of Imperial officials out of an upper-storey window. The event was a catalyst of the Thirty Years' War.
Interestingly, the word 'defenestration' was used in a Financial Times headline today: F&C Defenestrations Good for Governance. The article used 'defenestration' as a synonym of 'booting out' or 'sacking'.
In Italian, the verb "defenestrare" is the word of choice to describe the ousting of someone from office or power unexpectedly and in a dramatic way.
Posted by: Licia | February 03, 2011 at 11:10 PM
Thanks, Licia. Maybe the same will be said of English soon!
Posted by: Virtual Linguist | February 04, 2011 at 10:07 AM