defenestration

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Related terms 1.3.2 Translations

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

First attested circa 17th century, from Latin dē (“‘from, out’”) + fenestra, "window," historically, it was used as an act of political dissent, notably the Defenestrations of Prague.

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /diˌfɛnəˈstreɪʃən/, SAMPA: /di%fEn@"streIS@n/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃǝn

Wikipedia

[edit] Noun

defenestration (plural defenestrations)

1. The act of throwing something, or someone, out of a window.
   • 1905, Rossiter Johnson (Ed.), The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 11, pages 62–75,

     The "Defenestration" at Prague (A.D. 1618). ... The imperial Austrian Councillors are thrown out of the window of the castle of Hradschin by the enraged Bohemian Deputies

   • 1996, Adrian G. V. Hyde-Price, , page 40:

     The Third Defenestration of Prague occurred on 10 March 1948. During the closing stages of the communist takeover in Czechoslovakia, Jan Masaryk, the popular foreign minister and son of Tomas Masaryk, fell - or more likely was pushed - out of a window.

   • 2004, Carleton, Paul D, Concepts: a prototheist quest for science-minded skeptics of Catholic, and other Christian, Jewish, & Muslim backgrounds. Page 359. [1]

     "15. About to die anyway - On September 11, 2001 when NYC's Twin Towers were impacted...some occupants trapped above the inferno facing certain death instead jumped from windows to their certain death (self defenestration)."

2. (British) High profile removal of a person from an organization.
   • 2005, Sunday Times, September 4

     Be that as it may, his defenestration was coldly abrupt, and in his place, the Football Association resurrected a veteran manager and former England star in Joe Mercer for seven games.

3. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (neologism) The act of removing Windows operating system from a computer in order to install an alternative one.
   • 2004 February 12, Paul Murphy, "What Does Linux Cost?, on LinuxInsider:

     What's needed is defenestration -- throwing out the Windows mindset along with Microsoft's licenses and software -- but […]

   • Braue D, Gray P, Colquhoun L, Douglas J-V. Leaders of the pack. MIS Australia, December 1, 2005 [2]

     "...defenestration is starting to be linked to the throwing out of Windows software."

[edit] Related terms

• defenestrate

[edit] Translations