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.
to varnish with japan; lacquer.
to coat with any material that gives a hard, black gloss.
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.
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.
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
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.
First recorded in 1605–15; special use of Japan
First recorded in 1570–80 as Giapan; from Malay Jăpung, Japang, from Middle Chinese; see origin at Nippon ( def. )
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
The walls, highly painted and glittering with japan, were hung with Chinese pictures in gilded and japanned frames.
From The War Tiger Or, Adventures and Wonderful Fortunes of the Young Sea Chief and His Lad Chow: A Tale of the Conquest of China by Dalton, William
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 Disraeli, Isaac
In other cases the concave mirror, either of polished copper or black japan, will be found serviceable for inducing the clairvoyant state.
From How to Read the Crystal or, Crystal and Seer by Sepharial
Let this stand one day; sand-paper down with fine paper, then with a brush apply a coat of coach japan.
From French Polishing and Enamelling A Practical Work of Instruction by Bitmead, Richard
SoftBank Group 9984 -6.76%decrease; red down pointing triangle drops 5.2%, Kioxia Holdings 285A -3.98%decrease; red down pointing triangle is 3.5% lower and Japan Airlines is down 3.3%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Its relative, Andrias japonicus, the Japanese giant salamander, still survives in rivers throughout the Ajimu region and elsewhere in Japan.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
The new levies received swift condemnation from target countries, with Japan saying it "regrets" the duties and Australia's trade minister calling them "unjustified."
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
The impact also could hit global bond markets, driving rates outside Japan higher.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
As an island nation with more than 18,000 miles of coastline, sea-level rise as a result of climate change is a very real threat to Japan.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
“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
“Look, I expect Japan to step up, because, you know, we have that kind of relationship, and we step up in Japan. We have 45,000 soldiers in Japan,” Trump said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2026
"We've dealt with Japan. I'm not sure we're going to make a deal. I doubt it," he told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2025
“I am here to reaffirm America’s unwavering commitment to Japan. This includes extended deterrence and provided by the full range of U.S. conventional and nuclear capabilities,” Austin said.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 1, 2023
“It is spirit of Japan. No, ‘spirit’ not right word.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
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
Japan, ja-pan′, v.t. to varnish after the manner of the Japanese′, or people of Japan: to make black and glossy:—pr.p. japan′ning; pa.p. japanned′.—n. work japanned: the varnish or lacquer used in japanning.—ns.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
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 Waugh, Joseph Laing
You met them with their brown canvas satchels and japanned tin specimen-cases, poking about up the Trwyn or groping in the boggy patches about Sarn.
From Mushroom Town by Onions, Oliver
Varnishing is the last and the finishing process in japanning.
From Handbook on Japanning: 2nd Edition For Ironware, Tinware, Wood, Etc. With Sections on Tinplating and Galvanizing by Brown, William N.
Those Birmingham manufacturers who were the first to practise japanning only on metals on which there was no need for a priming coat did not of course adopt such a practice.
From Handbook on Japanning: 2nd Edition For Ironware, Tinware, Wood, Etc. With Sections on Tinplating and Galvanizing by Brown, William N.
Over the ordinary tanning of the sailor, he seemed masked by a visor of japanning, dotted all over with freckles, so intensely yellow, and symmetrically circular, that they seemed scorched there by a burning glass.
From Mardi: and A Voyage Thither, Vol. I by Melville, Herman
My table I like; though he has stuck in among the ornaments two vile china jars, that look like the modern japanning by ladies.
From The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 1 by Cunningham, Peter
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 Brown, William N.
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.
