˜yĐÄvlog

Advertisement

Advertisement

Cinderella

[ sin-duh-rel-uh ]

noun

  1. a heroine of a fairy tale or folk tale who is maltreated by a malevolent stepmother but achieves happiness and marries a prince through the benevolent intervention of a fairy godmother.
  2. (italics) the tale itself, the earliest version of which is in Chinese and dates from the 9th century a.d.
  3. (italics) a ballet (1945) with musical score by Sergei Prokofiev.
  4. a person or thing of merit, undeservedly neglected or forced into a wretched or obscure existence.
  5. a person or thing that achieves unexpected or sudden success or recognition, especially after obscurity, neglect, or misery (often used attributively):

    Which team will find themselves the Cinderella of this year’s college basketball season?



Cinderella

/ ˌČőÉȘČÔ»ćəˈ°ùɛ±ôə /

noun

  1. a girl who achieves fame after being obscure
    1. a poor, neglected, or unsuccessful person or thing
    2. ( as modifier )

      a Cinderella service within the NHS

  2. modifier relating to dramatic success

    a Cinderella story

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

“CŸ±ČÔ»ć±đ°ù±đ±ô±ôČč”

  1. A fairy tale from the collection of Charles Perrault. Cinderella, a young girl, is forced by her stepmother and stepsisters to do heavy housework and relaxes by sitting among the cinders by the fireplace. One evening, when the prince of the kingdom is holding a ball, Cinderella's fairy godmother visits her, magically dresses her for the ball, turns a pumpkin into a magnificent carriage for her, warns her not to stay past midnight, and sends her off. Cinderella captivates the prince at the ball but leaves just as midnight is striking, and in her haste she drops a slipper; as the story is usually told in English, the slipper is made of glass. She returns home with her fine clothes turned back into rags and her carriage a pumpkin again. The prince searches throughout the kingdom for the owner of the slipper. Cinderella is the only one whom it fits, and the prince marries her.
Discover More

Notes

The name Cinderella is sometimes applied to a person or group that undergoes a sudden transformation, such as an athletic team that loses frequently and then starts to win steadily.
Discover More

˜yĐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of Cinderella1

First recorded in 1840–50; partial translation of French Cendrillon “Little Ashes,” from Charles Perrault’s Cendrillon, ou la petite pantoufle de verre “Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper” (1697)
Discover More

˜yĐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of Cinderella1

C19: after Cinderella, the heroine of a fairy tale who is aided by a fairy godmother
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“I’m Cinderella after the ball,” she says at one point, “and the spell is wearing off.”

From

The Diamond Bar-based company recently selected the senior business economics major to be its pitchman for what might be the ultimate Cinderella story of March Madness.

From

Liberty, the No. 13 seed, is in the tournament for the first team since 2018 after winning the Conference USA tournament, and it has all the makings of a possible Cinderella.

From

Things aren’t a mistake, it’s not an accident, there are no Cinderellas.

From

The panto season is still in full swing for the cast and crew of Cinderella who have partnered with a Dorset nursing home to keep the cost of tickets down for local families.

From

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement