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japan
japannounany of various hard, durable, black varnishes, originally from Japan, for coating wood, metal, or other surfaces.
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Japan
Japannouna constitutional monarchy on a chain of islands off the eastern coast of Asia: main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. 141,529 sq. mi. (366,560 sq. km). Tokyo.
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Japan.
Japan.abbreviationJapanese.
japan
1 Americannoun
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any of various hard, durable, black varnishes, originally from Japan, for coating wood, metal, or other surfaces.
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work varnished and figured in the Japanese manner.
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Japans, a variety of decorative motifs or patterns derived from Asian sources, used on English porcelain of the 18th and 19th centuries.
adjective
verb (used with object)
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to varnish with japan; lacquer.
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to coat with any material that gives a hard, black gloss.
noun
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Japanese Nihon, Nippon. a constitutional monarchy on a chain of islands off the eastern coast of Asia: main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. 141,529 sq. mi. (366,560 sq. km). Tokyo.
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Sea of Japan, a marginal sea bounded by North Korea, the Far Eastern mainland of Russia, the Russian island Sakhalin, Japan, and South Korea: largely enclosed from the Pacific Ocean and seldom affected by tides.
abbreviation
noun
noun
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a glossy durable black lacquer originally from the Orient, used on wood, metal, etc
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work decorated and varnished in the Japanese manner
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a liquid used as a paint drier
adjective
verb
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Although a world leader in shipbuilding, electronics, and automobile manufacture, Japan's economy suffered a severe slump during the 1990s.
Called the “Land of the Rising Sun,” Japan is symbolized by a red sun on a white background.
Japan's ports were first opened to Western traders in the sixteenth century but were closed in the seventeenth century. Japan remained in virtual isolation until the 1850s, when an American naval officer, Matthew C. Perry, persuaded the government to reopen trade with the West.
Another symbol (see also symbol) of Japan is Fujiyama, also called Mount Fuji, a volcano whose symmetrical snow-capped peak has been the object of countless pilgrimages, poems, and paintings. It has not erupted since 1707.
Suffering from overcrowding, lack of natural resources, and the influence of powerful military factions, Japan pursued an aggressive policy of expansion in China during the 1930s, ultimately resulting in a military alliance with Germany and Italy to form the Axis powers in World War II. (See also Hiroshima (see also Hiroshima), Pearl Harbor, and Douglas MacArthur.)
Imperial Japan was organized on a feudal system (see feudalism), characterized by the samurai (the warrior class, which eventually became landed gentry) and the shogun (the hereditary administrative leader). The emperor, believed to be divine, was the ceremonial leader. Japan is a constitutional monarchy today.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of japan1
First recorded in 1605–15; special use of Japan
Origin of Japan2
First recorded in 1570–80 as Giapan; from Malay Jăpung, Japang, from Middle Chinese; see origin at Nippon ( def. )
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.
She earned her Ph.D. from Chulalongkorn University in 2001 and later completed postdoctoral research with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, JAPAN.
From Science Daily • Jan. 13, 2026
JAPAN, Saitama: The Swedes won all three of their games in Group G to advance, including that 3-0 victory over the Americans in their opener.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 29, 2021
JAPAN: Earlier, Japan posted its first monthly trade surplus in nearly three years in March, thanks to falling import costs from cheaper oil prices, along with a modest recovery in exports.
From US News • Apr. 22, 2015
JAPAN: Make Believe MelodiesFor Tracy Hyde - Shady Lane SherbertOver the past year, Japan has been experiencing a boom in indie-pop music, with artists from every corner of the country embracing twee sounds.
From The Guardian • Nov. 15, 2012
You can also write [email protected], or send mail to TWICS/IEC, 1-21 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160, JAPAN.
From The Online World by De Presno, Odd
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.