hibakusha

[ hee-buh-koo-shuh; Japanese hee-bah-koo-shah ]

noun

, plural hi·ba·ku·shas, hi·ba·ku·sha.

1. a survivor of either of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945.

hibakusha

/ hɪˈbɑːkʊʃə /

noun

1. a survivor of either of the atomic-bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945

Word History and Origins

Origin of hibakusha¹

< Japanese, equivalent to hibaku bombed ( hi- suffer + baku- burst open, explode < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese bèi bào ) + -sha person < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese chě

Word History and Origins

Origin of hibakusha¹

C20: from Japanese, from hibaku exposed + -sha -person