sanbenito

S1A1N1B3E1N1I1T1O1

noun

A sackcloth coat worn by penitents on being reconciled to the church.

OriginSpanish sambenito →
Scrabble 11
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Meanings

nounsanbenito (plural sanbenitos)

plural sanbenitos

  1. historicalA sackcloth coat worn by penitents on being reconciled to the church.
  2. historicalA garment or cap, or sometimes both, painted with flames, figures, etc., and worn by those who had been examined by the Inquisition and were brought forth for the auto da fe.

Origin

  1. Spanishsambenito
  2. Englishsanbenito

From Spanish sambenito, from its resemblance in shape to the garment of the order of Saint Benedict (San Benito in Spanish).

More words from Spanish

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

sanbenito. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sanbenito

MLA

“sanbenito.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sanbenito. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sanbenito,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sanbenito.

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