piñata

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

noun

, plural pi·ña·tas [pin-, yah, -t, uh, z, pee-, nyah, -tahs].

1. (in Mexico and Central America) colorful papier-mâché figure or cheerfully decorated crock 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.

piñata

/ ˌpɪnˈjata /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of piñata¹

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; pine ¹, -eous

Word History and Origins

Origin of piñata¹

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

Example Sentences

In the field, the Mariners’ sloppy defense turned star pitcher Logan Gilbert into something of a piñata, giving the Dodgers extra chance after extra chance to take a whack at the All-Star right-hander.

From Los Angeles Times

Community members are invited to play trivia games and even swing at a piñata.

From Seattle Times

Sounds promising, but when Marcos arrives bearing a piñata and an expensive bottle of white wine as gifts, his appearance doesn’t quite match Yoli’s description.

From Los Angeles Times

But the bridge in one of the country’s most competitive districts has become a political piñata in the race, which is all but certain to pit Ms. Perez against the far-right Republican Joe Kent, whom she beat in 2022 by less than 1 percentage point.

From New York Times

But the bridge in one of the country’s most competitive districts has become a political piñata in the race, which is all but certain to pit Ms. Perez against the far-right Republican Joe Kent, whom she beat in 2022 by less than 1 percentage point.

From New York Times