Etymologically
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English

quixotic

History

Etymology

First recorded in 1718 according to Merriam-Webster[1] and in 1791 according to Etymonline,[2] formed from English Quixote + -ic,[3][4] after Don Quixote, the romantic and impractical hero of Cervantes' novel Don Quixote de la Mancha (1605).[2][5]

The name literally means “thigh”, also a piece of armour for the thigh (modern Spanish quijote), from Latin coxa “hip”.[2]

References

  1. [1] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  2. [1] [2] [3] Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. [1] Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  4. [1] Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  5. [1] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Last edited on 5 October 2026.