piñata

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pi·ña·ta

 (pĭn-yä′tə, pēn-)
n.
1. A decorated container filled with candy and toys suspended from a height, intended to be broken by blindfolded children with sticks, and used as part of Christmas and birthday celebrations in certain Latin-American countries or at children's parties.
2. A frequent object or victim of ongoing criticism or abuse: "Partially hydrogenated oils [have become] a piñata for public health officials worldwide" (Michael Mason).

[Spanish, from Italian pignatta, a kind of pot, probably from dialectal pigna, pine cone (from its shape), from Latin pīnea; see pineal.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

piñata

(ˌpɪnˈjata)
n
a papier-mâché party decoration filled with sweets, hung up during parties, and struck with a stick until it breaks open
[Spanish, from Italian pignatta, probably from dialect pigna, from Latin pinea pine cone]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pi•ña•ta

(pinˈyɑ tə, pɪnˈyɑ-)

n., pl. -tas.
(in Mexico and Central America) a decorated crock or papier-mâché figure filled with toys, candy, etc., and suspended from above, esp. at birthday parties and Christmas, so that blindfolded children may break it with sticks and release the contents.
[1885–90; < Sp: literally, pot < Italian pignatta]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.pinata - plaything consisting of a container filled with toys and candypinata - plaything consisting of a container filled with toys and candy; suspended from a height for blindfolded children to break with sticks
plaything, toy - an artifact designed to be played with
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
References in periodicals archive ?
The 31-year-old had to lie on a pizza base and take a series of "toppings" including fish guts, rotten tomatoes, green ants, mealworms and cockroaches while smashing moving pinatas with the stars inside, using a rolling pin.
'Giant spider pinatas covered in bison and camel fur, papier-mache ghouls smeared in interesting smells and a haunted house for the resident meerkats were among the surprises designed by a team of creative volunteers,' a spokesperson for the zoo said.
From fun toys such as castle pinatas and bubble wands to keep the kids entertained, to swish outdoor dining furniture for the grown-ups, you'll find affordable items both online and in-store that everyone can enjoy
|PS24.95, The Joke Shop, Duke Street, Cardiff GHOST AND PUMPKIN PINATAS Keep everyone entertained at your Halloween party with these paper pinatas.
London, April 22( ANI ): Emma Watson's friends celebrated her 23rd birthday in New York by making 23 different pinatas representing each year of the star's life.
Workers at a Tijuana factory are allegedly paid just 10p an hour to assemble pinatas - cardboard figures full of sweets - which are then sold for PS12.99 each.
In the spot, the DQ spokesperson explains that at Dairy Queen "we don't just have pinatas; we have pinatas filled with Mary Lou Retton." He then proceeds to hit the pinata causing it to break open and Retton tumbles out.