facetiae
Americanplural noun
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amusing or witty remarks or writings.
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Older Use. pornographic books or other writings.
plural noun
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humorous or witty sayings
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obscene or coarsely witty books
Etymology
Origin of facetiae
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin, plural of facētia “something witty, a joke”; see facete, -ia
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The second room, announced by the word "Counting-Room" on its door, harmonized with the grim facetiae of its neighbor.
From Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau by Balzac, Honoré de
It is true, the methods were not many, being limited chiefly to that form of popular facetiae known as practical joking; and even this had assumed the seriousness of a business-pursuit.
From Tales of the Argonauts by Harte, Bret
Fancy a party in a country-house now looking over Woodward's facetiae or some of the Gilray comicalities, or the slatternly Saturnalia of Rowlandson!
From John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character by Thackeray, William Makepeace
The myth of Qat is a jungle of facetiae and frolic, with one or two serious incidents, such as the beginning of Death and the coming of Night.
From The Making of Religion by Lang, Andrew
It meant being chaffed and gibed at in language of which he only understood that it was cruel, though certain trite facetiae grew intelligible to him by repetition.
From Children of the Ghetto A Study of a Peculiar People by Zangwill, Israel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
