dulcinea

[ duhl-sin-ee-uh, duhl-suh-nee-uh ]

/ dʌlˈsɪn i ə, ˌdʌl səˈni ə /

noun

a ladylove; sweetheart.

Nearby words

dulce gulf, dulcet, dulciana, dulcify, dulcimer, dulcinea, dulcitol, dulcy, dulia, dull, dull as dishwater

Origin of dulcinea

First recorded in 1740–50; after Dulcinea the ladylove of Don Quixote

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dulcinea

But his Dulcinea had wrought most wonderfully on his imagination.
Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 1 (of 3)|Isaac D'Israeli
I would do anything in the world for you, Dulcinea, as you know, but for this work unfortunately I am too modest.
Portia|Duchess
Dulcinea saw me shiver, I think, and ran to get a shawl or some covering for me.
Portia|Duchess
They found him half stripped of his clothing and doing penance for the beautiful Dulcinea in his shirt and drawers.
A Treasury of Heroes and Heroines|Clayton Edwards

He did so, and passed all the rest of the night in thinking of his lady Dulcinea, in imitation of the lovers of Marcela.
The History of Don Quixote, Vol. I, Complete|Miguel de Cervantes

British Dictionary definitions for dulcinea

dulcinea

/ (ˌdʌlsɪˈnɪə) /

noun

a man's sweetheart

Word Origin for dulcinea

C18: from the name of Don Quixote's mistress Dulcinea del Toboso in Cervantes' novel; from Spanish dulce sweet

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