The word of the day is
defenestrate:
de·fen·es·trate (dē-ˌfe-nə-ˈstrāt), verb
definition: to throw a person or thing out of a window
Origin: de- + Latin fenestra (window)
Used in a sentence: I couldn't help but defenestrate my little sister after she put lipstick on my G.I. Joes!
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Fig.1: "This is the last time we book the conference
room on the top floor!" |
What does this have to do with history, you ask? Well, would you believe me if I told you that a major war actually started in Europe because some guys got defenestrated? It's true, I swear it! In 1618, the growing conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic) actually led to a situation where local noblemen threw their king's representatives out of a third-story window (fig.1). This allowed the bubbling religious pot to boil over, and Europe would be at war for the next thirty years during the Thirty Years War. The Defenestration of Prague is great not only because it's an awesome historical event, but it gives us the opportunity to learn some vocabulary as well! Please don't throw me out of a window for that!
