Pantaleone

Part of speech: noun, proper noun

Definitions

1. A character in Italian commedia dell'arte known for his miserly and foolish nature, typically portrayed wearing a distinctive costume
2. The archetype of a greedy old man in comedic theater, often depicted with a large nose and hunchback, emphasizing his comic eccentricities
3. A stock figure in traditional Italian comedy representing wealth and stubbornness, usually involved in humorous schemes and failures

Etymology: Pantaleone is the name of a stock figure of the Italian commedia dell'arte, a foolish, stingy old Venetian merchant whose name became a common term for a miserly old man. The character took his name from Saint Pantaleon, a Christian martyr, and from Venice, where Pantaleone's comic persona was grounded in the Venetian merchant class. Through the commedia's touring troupes, the figure spread across Europe, and the name came to stand for a skinflint. In English the word appears as a proper noun used generically, so it is capitalised only in its origin and is typically written lowercase when used as a common noun. Its sense is the same as the character's: an old man who hoards money, often ridiculous in his greed and in his pursuit of young lovers.

Synonyms: Pantaleone (proper noun, name)