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kendo

American  
[ken-doh] / ˈkɛn doʊ /

noun

  1. a Japanese form of fencing using bamboo staves, with the contestants wearing head guards and protective garments.


kendo British  
/ ˈkɛndəʊ /

noun

  1. the Japanese art of fencing with pliable bamboo staves or, sometimes, real swords: strict conventions are observed

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of kendo

1920–25; < Japanese kendō, from Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese jiàn “sword” + dào “way”; cf. Bushido, judo, Tao

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:

Classes included economics and English, as well as meditation, calligraphy and kendo, a martial art.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 6, 2026

"Government agencies for sport and tourism are seeking to promote 'martial arts tourism', not only sumo, but also kendo and karate," he said.

From Barron's Jan. 30, 2026

He followed with kendo stick shots and a DDT.

From Los Angeles Times May 6, 2023

One selection includes field recordings of a kendo dojo, call-and-response shouting muffled in synthesizer clouds; most suggest something disturbing, half-audible in the next room.

From New York Times Mar. 10, 2023

In fact, there were few men known to him who could ably defend themselves against such an attack by Kabuo Miyamoto—certainly a man with no training in kendo had little chance of warding him off.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

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