Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

panache

2 min
•Apr 8, 202611 days ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

This episode explores the word 'panache,' a noun meaning lively grace and style. The episode traces panache's etymology from Latin 'pinaculum' (small wing), originally referring to a feathery plume on hats, and explains how the term evolved into a figurative expression of unflagging spirit and elegance, popularized through Edmund Rostand's 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac.

Insights
  • Etymology reveals how literal objects (feathered plumes) become metaphors for abstract qualities (grace under pressure)
  • Panache represents a specific cultural value: maintaining style and dignity in the face of adversity or death
  • Literary works can permanently shift the figurative meaning of words, as Rostand's play did for panache in English
  • The concept of panache combines frivolity with strength—appearing effortless while requiring tremendous inner resolve
Trends
Renewed interest in classical literature's influence on modern vocabulary and cultural valuesGrowing appreciation for style and presentation as legitimate forms of human expression in professional contextsEtymology-driven content gaining traction as audiences seek deeper understanding of word origins and cultural history
Companies
BBC
Source of the example sentence demonstrating panache in contemporary usage
Merriam-Webster
Publisher and host of the Word of the Day podcast series
People
Peter Sokolowski
Host and narrator of the Word of the Day episode
Edmund Rostand
Author of the 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac that popularized panache's figurative meaning
Cyrano de Bergerac
Fictional character whose final declaration exemplifies the meaning and history of panache
Quotes
"The star appeared as an airline pilot, twirling her way through baggage reclaim while shrugging off a bevy of useless men, a surgeon, a priest, a magician, an astronaut. It made absolutely no sense, but she delivered it with such panache that it barely mattered."
BBC example•Mid-episode
"Panache is nothing but a grace, which is so difficult to retain in the face of death, a grace which demands so much strength that all the same it is a grace, which I wish for all of us."
Edmund Rostand•Late episode
"In his dying moments, Cyrano declares that the one thing left to him is his panache, and that assertion at once demonstrates the meaning of the word and draws upon its history."
Peter Sokolowski•Mid-episode
Full Transcript
It's the Word of the Day for April 8th. Today's word is panache, spelled P-A-N-A-C-H-E. Panache is a noun. In simplest terms, panache refers to lively grace and style. It appears in contexts in which words like verb and flair are also applied. Here's the word used in a sentence from the BBC. The star appeared as an airline pilot, twirling her way through baggage reclaim while shrugging off a bevy of useless men, a surgeon, a priest, a magician, an astronaut. It made absolutely no sense, but she delivered it with such panache that it barely mattered, even when she ended the performance by pulling a dove out of a top hat. Few literary characters can match the panache of French poet and soldier Cyrano de Bergerac from Edmund Rostal's 1897 play of the same name. In his dying moments, Cyrano declares that the one thing left to him is his panache, and that assertion at once demonstrates the meaning of the word and draws upon its history. In both French and English, panache, which traces back to the late Latin word pinaculum, meaning small wing, originally referred to a showy feathery plume on a hat or helmet. Our familiar figurative sense debuted in the first English translation of Rostal's play, which made the literal plume a metaphor for Cyrano's unflagging verb even in death. In a 1903 speech, Rostal himself described panache with these words, a little frivolous perhaps, most certainly a little theatrical. Panache is nothing but a grace, which is so difficult to retain in the face of death, a grace which demands so much strength that all the same it is a grace, which I wish for all of us. With your Word of the Day, I'm Peter Sokolowski. Visit MiriamWebster.com today for definitions, word play, and trending word look-ups.