Etymology

Noun

1. The act of throwing something, or someone, out of a window.
   • 1905, Rossiter Johnson (Ed.), The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 11, pages 62–75,

     The "Defenestration" at Prague (A.D. 1618). ... The imperial Austrian Councillors are thrown out of the window of the castle of Hradschin by the enraged Bohemian Deputies

   • 2004, Carleton, Paul D, Concepts: a prototheist quest for science-minded skeptics of Catholic, and other Christian, Jewish, & Muslim backgrounds. Page 359. http://books.google.com/books?id=_27TPPS9W-4C&pg=PA359&dq=%22self-defenestration%22&lr=&client=firefox-a#v=onepage&q=%22self-defenestration%22&f=false

     "15. About to die anyway - On September 11, 2001 when NYC's Twin Towers were impacted...some occupants trapped above the inferno facing certain death instead jumped from windows to their certain death (self defenestration)."

2. High profile removal of a person from an organization.
   • 2005, Sunday Times, September 4

     Be that as it may, his defenestration was coldly abrupt, and in his place, the Football Association resurrected a veteran manager and former England star in Joe Mercer for seven games.

3. The act of removing Windows operating system from a computer in order to install an alternative one.
   • 2004 February 12, Paul Murphy, "What Does Linux Cost?, on LinuxInsider:

     What's needed is defenestration -- throwing out the Windows mindset along with Microsoft's licenses and software -- but

   • Braue D, Gray P, Colquhoun L, Douglas J-V. Leaders of the pack. MIS Australia, December 1, 2005 http://www.misweb.com/magarticle.asp?doc_id=25322&rgid=2&listed_months=0

     "...defenestration is starting to be linked to the throwing out of Windows software."