<p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>A heroine of a fairy tale or folk tale who is maltreated by a malevolent stepmother but achieves happiness and marries a prince through the benevolent intervention of a fairy godmother.</li><li>The tale itself, the earliest version of which is in Chinese and dates from the 9th century A.D.</li><li>A ballet (1945) with musical score by Sergei Prokofiev.</li><li>A person or thing of merit, undeservedly neglected or forced into a wretched or obscure existence.</li><li>A person or thing that achieves unexpected or sudden success or recognition, especially after obscurity, neglect, or misery (often used attributively): "Which team will find themselves the Cinderella of this year’s college basketball season?"</li></ul>