piñata

[ peen-yah-tuh, pin-yah-; Spanish pee-nyah-tah ]

/ pinˈyɑ tə, pɪnˈyɑ-; Spanish piˈnyɑ tɑ /

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noun, plural pi·ña·tas

[peen-yah-tuhz, pin-yah-; Spanish pee-nyah-tahs]. /pinˈyɑ təz, pɪnˈyɑ-; Spanish piˈnyɑ tɑs/.

(in Mexico and Central America) a gaily decorated crock or papier-mâché figure filled with toys, candy, etc., and suspended from above, especially during Christmas or birthday festivities, so that children, who are blindfolded, may break it or knock it down with sticks and release the contents.

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Origin of piñata

1885–90; <Spanish: literally, pot <Italian pignatta, probably derivative of dial. pigna pinecone (from the pot's shape) <Latin pīnea, noun use of feminine of pīneus of the pine tree; see pine¹, -eous

Words nearby piñata

pinang, pinard, Pinar del Río, Pinard's maneuver, pinaster, piñata, Pinatubo, Pinay, pin back one's ears, pinball, pinballer

British Dictionary definitions for piñata

piñata

/ (ˌpɪnˈjata) /

noun

a papier-mâché party decoration filled with sweets, hung up during parties, and struck with a stick until it breaks open

Word Origin for piñata

Spanish, from Italian pignatta, probably from dialect pigna, from Latin pinea pine cone

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