fantoccini

F4A1N1T1O1C3C3I1N1I1

noun

Puppets caused to enact dramatic scenes by means of machinery.

OriginItalian fantoccini →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounfantoccini pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlyPuppets caused to enact dramatic scenes by means of machinery.

    A man of the name of Flocton from Birmingham was, to the best of my knowledge, the first that ever had a fantoccini exhibition in England; but he was only for theatres[…]

    1861, Henry Mayhew, London labour and the London poor, page 61
  2. pluralplural onlyThe puppet shows in which they are used.

Origin

  1. Italianfantoccini
  2. Englishfantoccini

From Italian fantoccini, diminutive from fante (“child”).

More words from Italian

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

fantoccini. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fantoccini

MLA

“fantoccini.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fantoccini. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fantoccini,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fantoccini.

Source: fantoccini on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.