japan
noun
any of various hard, durable, black varnishes, originally from Japan, for coating wood, metal, or other surfaces.
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japan
1 American
[juh-pan]
/ dʒəˈpæn /
noun
-
any of various hard, durable, black varnishes, originally from Japan, for coating wood, metal, or other surfaces.
-
work varnished and figured in the Japanese manner.
-
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)
japanned,
japanning
-
to varnish with japan; lacquer.
-
to coat with any material that gives a hard, black gloss.
Japan
2
American
[juh-pan]
/ dʒəˈpæn /
noun
-
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.
Japan.
3
American
abbreviation
Japan
1
British
/ dʒəˈpæn /
noun
japan
2
British
/ dʒəˈpæn /
noun
-
a glossy durable black lacquer originally from the Orient, used on wood, metal, etc
-
work decorated and varnished in the Japanese manner
-
a liquid used as a paint drier
adjective
verb
Japan
Cultural
Discover More
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.
See Examples For:
Shame on anyone who shall try to shame them for that and deny them basic rights. tpng813 Just like how japan denies its massive massacres across china.
From Time ● Aug. 13, 2013
Fine girls like Clary and Dulcie, especially an accomplished girl like Clary, who could read French and do japan, besides working to a wish in cross-stitch and tent-sketch, were not persons to be slighted.
From Girlhood and Womanhood The Story of some Fortunes and Misfortunes by Sarah Tytler
I remember especially admiring the basins, jugs, &c., which were all of the finest japan enamel.
From Personal Recollections, from Early Life to Old Age, of Mary Somerville by Mary Somerville
The project failed, and Psalmanazar considered the miscarriage of the white Formosan japan as a providential warning to repent of all his impostures of Formosa!
From Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 3 by Isaac Disraeli
They are usually applied to metal work by means of an oil size or japan varnish.
Japan has not been able to contact the individual and did not know about the arrest until the official announcement, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press briefing.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Japan and South Korea issued a joint statement committing to North Korea’s denuclearization.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The seven-time Grand Slam champion was below the level he showed in winning the Japan Open last week as he produced a string of uncharacteristic errors.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
“Arcade machines tend to be renovated quickly. Old Machines in Japan can be brought over to the U.S.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
On March 11, 2011, the plants were hit by a one-two punch: First, there was the earthquake, the strongest ever measured in Japan.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
“They wanted a little bit of help. And we’re always there for Japan. Japan’s been very good to us, with the exception, of course, of Pearl Harbor.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
“The hype started in Japan. In Japan there are even cafés where you have contact with capybaras. And the internet helped, and the public is always curious. They want to know about the species.”
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
“It was so sudden ... lately Uhara was getting visitors even from outside Japan. It’s really unfortunate.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2025
"I feel sorry for Japan. His track record speaks for itself."
From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2023
“Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. ’Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick.
From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan
His sponges were the ordinary reef sponges and these he would rinse in an old japanned basin, changing the water in the basin only when it became too bloody to return the sponges relatively clean.
From Time Magazine Archive
He lighted the shank of candle in the japanned candlestick and regarded the bed—as spineless as a hammock and covered with a dirty patchwork quilt, the cotton batting spilling from the edges.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
It was an old, battered, black japanned receptacle without a lock, and only secured against accidental opening by a wooden peg inserted through the catch.
From Betty Grier by Joseph Laing Waugh
“Wait, I’ll get my box and show you,” offered Peg; and Cleo went to the “safe” with her to get out the square japanned box.
From The Girl Scouts at Camp Comalong Peg of Tamarack Hills by Lillian Garis
The japanned peacock is considered by Mr. Sclater as a distinct species, and has been named Pavo nigripennis.
From The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex Volume II (1st Edition) by Charles Darwin
Hence Birmingham japanned goods wear better than those goods which receive a priming previous to japanning.
From Handbook on Japanning: 2nd Edition For Ironware, Tinware, Wood, Etc. With Sections on Tinplating and Galvanizing by William N. Brown
Stoves heated by direct fire.—These were, of course, the form in which japanning ovens were constructed somewhat after the style of a drying kiln.
From Handbook on Japanning: 2nd Edition For Ironware, Tinware, Wood, Etc. With Sections on Tinplating and Galvanizing by William N. Brown
The previous application of this undercoat was thus an advantage in the case of coarse, uneven surfaces that it formed a first and sort of obligatory initial stage in the process of japanning.
From Handbook on Japanning: 2nd Edition For Ironware, Tinware, Wood, Etc. With Sections on Tinplating and Galvanizing by William N. Brown
E Enamelling and japanning stoves, 29-46. —— —— —— —— heated by direct fire, 34. —— —— —— —— heated by hot-water pipes, 36. —— or japanning metals, 20-28. —— old work, 27.
From Handbook on Japanning: 2nd Edition For Ironware, Tinware, Wood, Etc. With Sections on Tinplating and Galvanizing by William N. Brown
Shellac varnish is used for japanning lamps, tea trays, &c.
From A Select Collection of Valuable and Curious Arts and Interesting Experiments, Which are Well Explained and Warranted Genuine and may be Performed Easily, Safely, and at Little Expense. by Various Unknown
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.
