Dictionary.com

koan

[ koh-ahn ]
/ ˈkoʊ ɑn /

noun, plural ko·ans, ko·an.Zen.

a nonsensical or paradoxical question to a student for which an answer is demanded, the stress of meditation on the question often being illuminating.

QUIZZES

LEARN THE SPANISH WORDS FOR THESE COMMON ANIMALS!

Are you learning Spanish? Or do you just have an interest in foreign languages? Either way, this quiz on Spanish words for animals is for you.
Question 1 of 13
How do you say “cat” 🐈 in Spanish?
gato/gata
cato/cata
gatto/gatta
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Compare mondo1.

Origin of koan

1945–50; <Japanese kōan, earlier koũ-an<Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese gōngàn public proposal

Words nearby koan

Knussen, Knut, KO, koa, koala, koan, koap, kob, Kobarid, Kobe, Kobe beef
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

British Dictionary definitions for koan

koan
/ (ˈkəʊæn) /

noun

(in Zen Buddhism) a problem or riddle that admits no logical solution

Word Origin for koan

from Japanese
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