mondo
1[ mon-doh ]
noun,plural mon·dos.Zen.
a question to a student for which an immediate answer is demanded, the spontaneity of which is often illuminating.
Origin of mondo
1First recorded in 1925–30; from Japanese mondō, earlier mondau “rapid question and answer, catechesis between a rōshi (master) and student,” from Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese wèn “inquire” + dá “reply”
- Compare koan.
Words Nearby mondo
Other definitions for mondo (2 of 2)
mondo2
adverb
very; extremely: mondo cool.
adjective
large; big: a mondo history paper.
Origin of mondo
2First recorded in 1965–70; from Italian mondo “world,” extracted from the film Mondo Cane (“A Dog's World”) (1962) and reinterpreted as an adverb in Italian or pseudo-Italian phrases such as mondo bizarro “very bizarre,” literally, “bizarre world”
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use mondo in a sentence
Fior di granato!Se li sospiri mie fossere fuocco,Tutto il mondo sarebbe buciato.
Romance of Roman Villas | Elizabeth W. (Elizbeth Williams) ChampneyThis being received in cold silence, he continues: Noi giriamo il mondo!
Sea and Sardinia | D. H. LawrenceThe French—they thought themselves lords of the world—signori del mondo!
Sea and Sardinia | D. H. LawrenceLa gola, il dado e l'otiose piumeHanno dal' mondo ogni virt sbandita.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 10 (of 10) | Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)Tutto il mondo paese: a proverb which would serve as an excellent motto for the Folk-lore Society.
Essays in the Study of Folk-Songs (1886) | Countess Evelyn Martinengo-Cesaresco
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