Panache
pəˈnaSH
NOUN
Flamboyant confidence of style or manner.
A tuft or plume of feathers, especially as a headdress or on a helmet.
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
"Met Gala attendees show off creative evening wear, which they don with fearless panache."
"The knight’s helmet was topped with an extravagant red panache.”
“Even if you’re feeling shy, put your shoulders back and enter that room with panache.”
WORD ORIGIN
French, mid-16th century
WHY THIS WORD?
“Panache” takes flight from the Latin root “pinnaculum,” meaning “little wing,” and “pinna,” meaning “feather.” The modern usage of “panache” is “flamboyant confidence” — think of a glamorous runway walk or the contestants on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” However, in the mid-16th century, a feathered panache was generally found on top of a suit of armor. Usually reserved for tournaments and other ceremonial events, a panache was a status symbol — the size of which indicated the wearer’s wealth, position, and family colors. King Henry IV was known to wear an elaborate white panache into battle as a rallying point for his troops.
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