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Cinderella
Cinderella definition
Cin·der·ella (sin′dər el′ə)
noun
- the title character of a fairy tale, a household drudge who, with the help of a fairy godmother, marries a prince
- a person or thing whose merit, value, or beauty is for a time unrecognized
Etymology: cinder + dim. suffix -ella: like Fr Cendrillon (dim. < cendre, ashes), a partial transl. of Ger Aschenbrödel, lit., scullion (< asche, ash + brodeln, bubble up, brew)
adjective
resembling Cinderella in being elevated suddenly to a position of honor, glory, etc. a Cinderella team in a basketball tournament
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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