kabuki
Americannoun
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popular drama of Japan, developed chiefly in the 17th century, characterized by elaborate costuming, rhythmic dialogue, stylized acting, music, and dancing, and the performance of both male and female roles by male actors.
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Also called Grand Kabuki. Kabuki. public performances of this type of drama.
noun
Usage
What does Kabuki mean? Kabuki is a form of classical theater in Japan known for its elaborate costumes and dynamic acting. The phrases Kabuki theater, kabuki dance, or kabuki play are sometimes used in political discourse to describe an event characterized more by showmanship than by content.
Etymology
Origin of kabuki
1895–1900; < Japanese: originally, as v., to act dissolutely; usually written with phonograms that carry the meanings “song-dance-skill”
Explanation
Kabuki is a traditional Japanese art form involving music, dance, drama, and mime. Kabuki performers in elaborate costumes and makeup act out ancient history and legends. Kabuki performers are almost always men, but it was invented by a woman, a Shinto priestess named Izumo no Okuni. She taught her all-woman troupe to perform movements originally called onna-kabuki, or "woman song and dance." The exaggerated, stylized movement of kabuki inspired a metaphorical meaning in English — a kabuki dance is a kind of political theater in which people pretend to be in conflict but have actually decided on a predetermined outcome. Party conventions are an example of kabuki dance.
Vocabulary lists containing kabuki
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Court of Appeal in Tabuk upheld the conviction in January 2021.
From BBC • Mar. 3, 2022
In April 2020, Abdulrahim al-Huwaiti refused to be evicted from his home in Tabuk and began posting videos online.
From BBC • Feb. 21, 2022
The body of Christopher Cramer, of Milford, New Hampshire, was found beneath the third-floor balcony of the Sahara Makarim Hotel in Tabuk on Jan. 15.
From Washington Times • Jul. 10, 2015
The Tabuk plain in the northwest of the country, close to Jordan, gets an average of just 2 inches of rain a year.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2012
The "Ghazwah" of Tabuk was the last expedition led by the Prophet.
From The Life of Mohammad The Prophet of Allah by Dinet, Etienne
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
