Vocabulary Spotlight
Defenestrated
Part of Speech: Verb (past tense of defenestrate)
Definition: Thrown out of a window.
“The old printer was defenestrated from the third floor after repeatedly malfunctioning.”
Pronunciation
[dee-fen-uh-streyt-ed]
Synonyms, Antonyms & Related Words
Synonyms
Ejected
Expelled
Antonyms
Kept
Held
Related Words
Defenestration (noun)
Word Origin
“Defenestrate” originates from Latin, where “de-” means “out of” and “fenestra” means “window.” It entered English in the 17th century during the Defenestrations of Prague.
Word Family
Verb: Defenestrate – To throw out of a window.
Noun: Defenestration – The act of throwing someone or something out of a window.
Mnemonics
Think of “defenestrated” as “de-window” — an object is ejected from the window, moving “de” or downwards.
Industry-specific Usage
History
The term is famously associated with the Defenestrations of Prague, historical events where officials were thrown out of windows as acts of protest.
Technology
As a humorous expression, tech workers may say a device was “defenestrated” if it was angrily discarded.
Politics
Sometimes used metaphorically to describe the ousting of political figures, particularly in situations of abrupt dismissal.
In Context
Although originally literal, “defenestrated” is often used metaphorically to describe dismissing someone or something forcefully. It reflects abrupt removal, with or without windows involved.