Panache
/pəˈnæʃ/noun
A conspicuously confident, stylish, or flamboyant manner.
Did you know?Panache entered English from French, where it originally meant a feathered plume; the word is often linked to Italian pennacchio, ultimately from Latin penna, meaning "feather" or "wing."
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
penna
“feather, wing”
Medieval Latin
ML
pinnaculum / pennaculum
“small feather or plume”
Old French
OF
pannache / penache
“feathered plume, tuft”
16th Century
French
panache
“a plume of feathers worn on a helmet; a tuft or ornamental crest”
Late 19th Century
English
panache
“flamboyant style, dash, or confident flair”