pasquinade

noun

pas·​qui·​nade ˌpa-skwə-ˈnād 

1

: a lampoon posted in a public place

2

: satirical writing : satire

pasquinade transitive verb

Did you know?

In 1501, a marble statue from ancient times was unearthed in Rome and erected near that city's Piazza Navona. The statue depicted a male torso and was christened "Pasquino" by the Romans, perhaps after a local shopkeeper. It became a tradition to dress up the statue on St. Mark's Day, and in its honor, professors and students would write Latin verses that they would then post on it. Satires soon replaced these verses, and the Pasquino statue became a prime location for posting anonymous, bitingly critical lampoons. In the mid-17th century, these postings became known in English as "pasquinades" (from the Italian pasquinata). The term has since expanded in usage to refer to any kind of satirical writing.

Synonyms

• lampoon
• satire

Examples of pasquinade in a Sentence

a pasquinade of Washington society that features thinly disguised portraits of several political power brokers

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Italian pasquinata, from Pasquino, name given to a statue in Rome on which lampoons were posted

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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