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pic·a·resque

(pĭk′ə-rĕsk, pē′kə-)

adj.

1. Of or involving clever rogues or adventurers.

2. Of or relating to a genre of usually satiric prose fiction originating in Spain and depicting in realistic, often humorous detail the adventures of a roguish hero of low social degree living by their wits in a corrupt society.

One that is picaresque.

[French, from Spanish picaresco, from pícaro, picaro; see PICARO.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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