Picaroesque
/ˌpɪkəˈrɛsk/noun
Characteristic of or relating to a picaresque hero, especially a roguish adventurer whose exploits expose social corruption.
Did you know?The underlying Spanish word pícaro gave English the archetype of the picaro, a cunning low-status wanderer popularized by Spain’s early modern novels.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
Spanish
pícaro
“A rogue, vagabond, or socially marginal trickster; the source of the literary picaro.”
1554
Spanish
Lazarillo de Tormes
“The anonymous novella featuring a resourceful servant and commonly regarded as the foundational picaresque narrative.”
17th Century
French
picaro
“A Spanish-derived term for the roguish literary protagonist.”
18th Century
English
picaresque
“Relating to the adventures of a picaro; formed with the French-derived suffix -esque, meaning “in the manner of.””
19th–20th Century
English
picaroesque
“A rare variant spelling of picaresque, retaining the visible connection to Spanish pícaro.”
Modern English
English
picaroesque
“Roguish, episodic, and socially satirical in the manner of a picaro.”