katana
Britishnoun
Etymology
Origin of katana
C18: Japanese
Explanation
A Japanese samurai's curved sword was called a katana. In ancient military battles, katana were used in close combat. Samurai traditionally used two types of weapon, the longer, heavier tachi and the katana. With a single-sided, gently curved steel blade and a long grip, the katana was designed to be held with two hands and used in hand-to-hand combat. After Japan's Edo period, katanas were most often used for martial arts practice and ceremonies. The compound word katana is from kata, "one-sided," and na, "blade."
Vocabulary lists containing katana
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.
The prize: $10,000 in cash and an ornate Japanese katana.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
But what he really wants is the katana recognised not as an antiquity but as a "masterpiece" of contemporary art.
From Barron's ● Feb. 11, 2026
Toranaga does not charge into the fray on a white horse, his katana dealing death on all sides.
From New York Times ● Apr. 23, 2024
“If the katana is too heavy, it will wobble, and it might be a little bit dangerous,” Kawamoto said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2023
A katana made by the swordsmith Masamune, it had been in the Miyamoto family, it was said, for six centuries.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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.
