katakana

[ kah-tuh-kah-nuh; Japanese kah-tah-kah-nah ]

noun
  1. the more angular, less commonly used of the two Japanese syllabaries.

Origin of katakana

1
1720–30; <Japanese, equivalent to kata part (of kanji) + kanakana

Words Nearby katakana

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British Dictionary definitions for katakana

katakana

/ (ˌkɑːtəˈkɑːnə) /


noun
  1. one of the two systems of syllabic writing employed for the representation of Japanese, based on Chinese ideograms. It is used mainly for foreign or foreign-derived words

Origin of katakana

1
Japanese, from kata side + kana

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012