duende

[ dwen-de; English doo-en-dey ]

noun,plural duen·des [dwen-des; English doo-en-deyz] /ˈdwɛn dɛs; English duˈɛn deɪz/ for 1. Spanish.
  1. a goblin; demon; spirit.

  2. charm; magnetism.

Origin of duende

1
First recorded in 1685–95 for def. 1; 1955–60 for def. 2; Spanish, shortened from duen de (casa) “master of (the house)”; duen, variant of dueño “lord, master” (from Latin dominus; see dominate ) + de de

Words Nearby duende

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use duende in a sentence

  • But occasionally the duende had the form of a little busy friar, like the Monachiello at Naples.

    Brownies and Bogles | Louise Imogen Guiney

British Dictionary definitions for duende

duende

/ (duːˈɛndeɪ) /


noun
  1. inspiration or passion, esp associated with flamenco

Origin of duende

1
C20: Spanish, spirit

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012