An idealized or imaginary romantic love interest, often unattainable; a sweetheart or beloved one.
From Cervantes' 'Don Quixote,' where Dulcinea del Toboso is Don Quixote's imagined perfect lady; her name comes from Spanish 'dulce' (sweet).
Dulcinea shows how powerful literature is—Don Quixote's made-up fantasy lover became so famous that 'dulcinea' entered dictionaries as a real word for any idealized love!
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