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ruritanian

 - 2 dictionary results

Ru⋅ri⋅ta⋅ni⋅a

  [roor-i-tey-nee-uh, roor-i-tey-]
Use ruritanian in a Sentence
–noun
1. a mythical, romantic kingdom conceived as the setting for a fairy tale, costume drama, comic operetta, or the like.
2. Facetious. any small, little-known country or region considered remote, backward, or exotic.
Origin:
after the fictional Central European kingdom in the novel The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) by A. Hope

Related forms:
Ru⋅ri⋅ta⋅ni⋅an, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To ruritanian
Ru·ri·ta·ni·an   (rŏŏr'ĭ-tā'nē-ən)   
adj.  Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a mythical place of high, typically comic-opera romance: designed Ruritanian uniforms for the honor guard.

[After Ruritania, imaginary realm in the novel The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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