Close that window!

My friend and co-worker Jack is a lover of words. He has a beautiful old dictionary on his desk that is always open. I went over last week to tell Jack a holiday-inspired joke and he shared is current favorite word with me.


defenestrate
1. throw through or out of the window
2. a usually swift dismissal or expulsion (as from a political party or office)
Etymology: de- + Latin fenestra window
Date: 1620

"The rebels stormed the palace and defenestrated the President."

Interesting usage above, since it could satisfy either the first or second definition, oddly enough. Did they toss the president out the window or simply out of office? However, with the etymology, I tend to think that older usage would be quite literal, employing the window. Unfortunate for the president. While it occurs to me that "to defenestrate" would rarely turn out positively, it is a useful and beautifully descriptive word.


In conducting a little research, I found that there is an art exhibit with the title "DEFENESTRATION" (1997-present: Site-specific installation on the corner of 6th and Howard St. in San Francisco).

From the website:
This multi-disciplinary sculptural mural involves seemingly animated furniture; tables, chairs, lamps, grandfather clocks, a refrigerator, and couches, their bodies bent like centipedes, fastened to the walls and window-sills, their insect-like legs seeming to grasp the surfaces. Against society's expectations, these everyday objects flood out of windows like escapees, out onto available ledges, up and down the walls, onto the fire escapes and off the roof. "DEFENESTRATION" was created with the help of over 100 volunteers.

Located at the corner of Sixth and Howard Streets in San Francisco in an abandoned four-story tenement building, the site is part of a neighborhood that historically has faced economic challenge and has often endured the stigma of skid row status. Reflecting the harsh experience of many members of the community, the furniture is also of the streets, cast-off and unappreciated. The simple, unpretentious beauty and humanity of these downtrodden objects is reawakened through the action of the piece. The act of "throwing out" becomes an uplifting gesture of release, inviting reflection on the spirit of the people we live with, the objects we encounter, and the places in which we live.

Defenestration were also a UK heavy metal band from 1999 to 2004.

There is a literary magazine dedicated to humor with the title Defenestration.

Who knew a term for tossing out a window would be so popular? Is there a word for throwing something through the door? Hmmm.

Thanks, Jack!