piñata

noun

pi·​ña·​ta pēn-ˈyä-tə How to pronounce piñata (audio)
pin-
variants or pinata
: a decorated vessel (such as of papier-mâché) filled with candies, fruits, and gifts and hung up to be broken with sticks by blindfolded persons as part of especially Latin American festivities (as at Christmas or for a birthday party)

Illustration of piñata

Illustration of piñata

Examples of piñata in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Put the historical baggage onto the scales, and a Lions confetti shower in New Orleans next winter would far exceed the Chargers winning it or longtime pinatas such as the Jets, Bears, Jaguars, Cardinals and Falcons holding the trophy aloft. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024 Following that will be party games with an Opera San José twist, such as pinning the crown on company founder Irene Dalis and tackling a handmade pinata by local party supply store Dulceria Mi Carnaval. Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2024 As for Vivek Ramaswamy, he got knocked around like a pinata. Nr Staff, National Review, 27 Sep. 2023 In a PopSugar interview, Jenna described celebrating birthdays with pinatas and making tamales at Christmas. Julie Tremaine, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2023 There was the run-scoring revelation in the thin air of Mexico City with the sombreros and pinatas that came with it. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2023 Soak Up Culture at Mercado Sonora Mexico City is home to multiple markets, but Mercado Sonora is one of the few that sells occult products alongside pinatas, home goods, and fresh cactus. Megan Wood, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2023 May 5-7: Cincy Cinco Latin Festival The sounds of Latin America will fill the air this weekend with live music and dance, a conga parade, pinatas, and authentic Latino food from a variety of vendors and merchants. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 28 Apr. 2023 Also, Kimora looked like a pinata. Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'piñata.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish piñata, literally, pot, from Italian pignatta, probably from pigna pine cone — more at pignoli

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of piñata was in 1868

Dictionary Entries Near piñata

Cite this Entry

“Piñata.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pi%C3%B1ata. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

piñata

noun
pi·​ña·​ta pēn-ˈyät-ə How to pronounce piñata (audio)
: a decorated container filled with candies, fruits, and gifts which is hung up to be broken open with sticks by blindfolded persons during festivities
Etymology

Spanish, literally, "pot"

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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