picaresque: M-W's Word of the Day

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The Word of the Day for September 7 is:

picaresque \pik-uh-RESK\ adjective
: of or relating to rogues or rascals; also : of, relating to, suggesting, or being a type of fiction dealing with the episodic adventures of a usually roguish protagonist

Example sentence:
Kirk's first novel was a picaresque tale of a young orphan boy coping with life in the big city.

Did you know?
"Picaresque" derives from Spanish "picaresco," which means "of or relating to a picaro." What is a picaro? This word, which also derives from Spanish, means "rogue" or "bohemian." "Picaro" describes a type of character that has long been a popular subject for fictional narrative. Typically, the picaresque novel centers around a wandering individual of low standing who happens into a series of adventures among people of various higher classes, often relying on his wits and a little dishonesty to get by. The first known novel in this style is _Lazarillo de Tormes_ (ca. 1554), an irreverent work about a poor boy who works for a series of masters of dubious character. The novel has been attributed to Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, but his authorship is disputable.

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