Panache

/pəˈnæʃ/ noun

Definition

A confident, stylish, and flamboyant manner; enthusiasm and flair in the way something is done.

Etymology

From French 'panache,' originally meaning a plume or feather (from Italian 'pennacchio'). The meaning evolved to describe the impressive flair of someone wearing feathers in their hat.

Kelly Says

The word 'panache' perfectly captures how 16th-century soldiers showed off—literally by how they wore their helmet plumes—and it reveals how fashion was historically the main way people displayed confidence and status in public.

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