kung fu

[ kuhng-foo, koong ]

/ ˈkʌŋ ˈfu, ˈkʊŋ /

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noun

an ancient Chinese method of self-defense by striking blows at vulnerable areas of an attacker's body using fluid movements of the hands and legs.

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

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Origin of kung fu

From the Chinese word gōngfú literally, skill

Words nearby kung fu

kundalini, Kundera, Kundt tube, kunekune, Kung, kung fu, K'ung Fu-tse, K'ung Fu-tzŭ, Kungur, Kunitz, Kuniyoshi

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use kung fu in a sentence

Entertainment comes from DJs, dance troupes, kung fu associations and hip-hop artists Year of the Ox.
The best things to do in the D.C. area the week of Nov. 4-10|Fritz Hahn, Anying Guo, Chris Richards, Haben Kelati|November 4, 2021|Washington Post
Then Abdul-Mateen’s character and Neo speak in a dojo, a recreation of another famous scene from the original film in which Reeves intoned, “I know kung fu” in the most Keanu Reeves way possible.
How The Matrix Resurrections Trailer Evokes the Franchise's First Movie in Mysterious Ways|Eliana Dockterman|September 9, 2021|Time
The versatile New York-based group, which features as many as 19 members, has only been around for two decades, but its music channels the great Fela Kuti — with a dash of kung fu teaching.
Grammy Winners of Tomorrow|Joshua Eferighe|March 14, 2021|Ozy
Admittedly, all this sounds pretty entertaining, rather like a kung fu or superhero film.
The action-packed saga ‘Monkey King: Journey to the West’ gets a modern take|Michael Dirda|March 3, 2021|Washington Post

The show is loaded with beautifully shot, carefully choreographed sequences of magical kung-fu.
‘Game of Thrones’ Withdrawal? Watch Nickelodeon’s Fantasy Epic ‘The Legend of Korra’|David Levesley|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Kung fu is not the name of a martial-arts form; it means 'something with diligent applications.'
The Stacks: The Neville Brothers Stake Their Claim as Bards of the Bayou|John Ed Bradley|April 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Boxers tell the tale of Little Bao, a peasant boy who learns kung fu and joins the Boxer Rebellion.
Exclusive: The National Book Awards Longlist for Young People’s Literature|The Daily Beast|September 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In the kung fu epic The Grandmaster, Cannes award-winning actor Tony Leung trained for four years.
Tony Leung on His Journey to Kung Fu Spirituality in ‘The Grandmaster’|Jean Trinh|August 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“You cannot learn the spiritual side of kung fu in just reading two books,” he says.
Tony Leung on His Journey to Kung Fu Spirituality in ‘The Grandmaster’|Jean Trinh|August 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for kung fu

kung fu

/ (ˈkʌŋ ˈfuː) /

noun

any of various Chinese martial arts, some focusing on unarmed combat, others involving the use of weapons

Word Origin for kung fu

from Chinese: skill, accomplishment

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

kung fu

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Origin of kung fu

Words nearby kung fu

Words related to kung fu

How to use kung fu in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for kung fu

Word Origin for kung fu