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piñata

[ pin-yah-tuh; Spanish pee-nyah-tah ]

noun

, plural pi·ña·tas [pin-, yah, -t, uh, z, pee-, nyah, -tahs].
  1. (in Mexico and Central America) colorful papier-mâché figure or cheerfully decorated crock filled with toys, candy, etc., and suspended from above, especially during Christmas or birthday festivities, so that children, who are blindfolded, may break it or knock it down with sticks and release the contents.


piñata

/ ˌpɪnˈjata /

noun

  1. a papier-mâché party decoration filled with sweets, hung up during parties, and struck with a stick until it breaks open


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Word History and Origins

Origin of piñata1

1885–90; < Spanish: literally, pot < Italian pignatta, probably derivative of dial. pigna pinecone (from the pot's shape) < Latin pīnea, noun use of feminine of pīneus of the pine tree; pine 1, -eous

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Word History and Origins

Origin of piñata1

Spanish, from Italian pignatta , probably from dialect pigna , from Latin pinea pine cone

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Example Sentences

Another returned a printer box stuffed with a candy-filled piñata.

Shinseki is an easy political piñata for Republicans to hit.

No one can blame Republicans for using Obama as a piñata on the issue.

This is as deep as things go here, though I kept waiting for a tired piñata scene to arrive.

Rick Perry might want to embrace his role as resident GOP “piñata.”

When they had finished their cooking, Florence remarked, “Now we must decorate the olla for the piñata.”

The girl took a few steps, then timidly struck out with her stick, only to miss the piñata by several feet.

With almost uncanny accuracy, Carlitos neared the piñata, then struck out vigorously.

As he started toward the piñata Pepito called eagerly, “Hit it hard, Carlitos—very hard!”

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