Rapunzel

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A fairy tale figure distinguished by her lengthy hair symbolizes isolation and entrapment while also representing broader themes related to liberation and captivity in narratives
2. A notable character recognized for her extraordinary hair, embodying notions of confinement and seclusion that are often explored in literary contexts involving freedom
3. A character from folklore known for her extremely long hair used to climb in and out of a tower

Etymology: In German, "Rapunzel" is the common name of the rampion, a bellflower whose leaves and root were eaten as a salad green. The name is borrowed directly from German into English, so the English word keeps that plant sense, and the character takes her name from it. In the story, a pregnant woman craves rampion from a neighbouring enchantress's garden, and the bargain that follows gives the child to the enchantress. The plant's name is itself a diminutive form of a Latin word for turnip, "rapa," which the German borrowed. The name therefore points back to a humble root vegetable, not to hair or a tower. Those details came later, from the tale.

Synonyms: princess