coturno

buskin, cothurnus

noun koh-TOOR-noh Rare

Origin: From Latin cothurnus, from Greek kothornos, the high boot of tragic actors.

Usage Note

Coturno is a highly literary word referring to the thick-soled boot worn by ancient Greek and Roman tragic actors to add height on stage. By extension, de alto coturno is an idiom meaning 'of high rank' or 'of great distinction', used to describe eminent persons or lofty matters in formal Spanish prose.

Examples

"El drama llevaba el sello del coturno clásico."

Natural Translation

The drama bore the stamp of the classical buskin.

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