Definition of
Dada
- (noun, group) a nihilistic art movement (especially in painting) that flourished in Europe early in the 20th century; based on irrationality and negation of the accepted laws of beauty
- (noun, person) an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
via WordNet, Princeton University
Alternate forms of Dada
Hypernyms: art movement, artistic movement, begetter, father, male parent
Origin of the word Dada
- 1920, from Fr. dada "hobbyhorse," child's nonsense word, selected 1916 by Romanian poet Tristan Tzara, leader of the movement, for its resemblance to meaningless babble.
"Freedom: DADA DADA DADA, the howl of clashing colors, the intertwining of all contradictions, grotesqueries, trivialities: LIFE." [T. Tzara, "Dada Manifesto," 1918]
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via Online Etymology Dictionary, ©2001 Douglas Harper