HOW TO PRONOUNCE
potemkin
/poʊˈtɛm.kɪn/
Press play to hear how to pronounce potemkin.
American Pronunciation Guide · 1:05
Watch on YouTube ↗
Watch on YouTube ↗
What does potemkin mean?
proper noun
- A transliteration of the Russian surname Потёмкин (Potjómkin).
- (figuratively) Resembling a Potemkin village; fake, facade.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/poʊˈtɛm.kɪn/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
The edifice thus reared might not unaptly be compared to the gorgeous palace erected by Potemkin, that princely barbarian of Russia, to surprise and please his imperial mistress: huge blocks of ice were piled one upon another; ionic pillars, of chastest workmanship, in ice, formed a noble portico; and a dome, of the same material, shone in the sun, which had just strength enough to gild, but not to melt it.