obi
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
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a broad sash tied in a large flat bow at the back, worn by Japanese women and children as part of the national costume
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a narrow sash worn by Japanese men
noun
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a kind of witchcraft originating in Africa and practised by some West Indians
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a charm or amulet used in this
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of obi
1875–80; < Japanese: girdle, gird (v.)
Explanation
An obi is a fabric belt that's tied around the waist of a Japanese kimono. The most formal obi are very wide and stiff, and are made from silk brocade. While an obi was originally a useful piece of cord or rope that secured a kimono around the body, modern obi are primarily ornamental. These wide sashes have become too inflexible to actually hold the kimono shut — there are smaller ties underneath that do that. If you participate in Japanese martial arts, you'll also wear an obi as part of your uniform.
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.
Through the centuries, the unisex garment evolved from an underlayer for the upper class to become outerwear, sashed with an obi but featuring smaller sleeves that aided physical activity — helpful for the samurai warriors.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2024
“The present is a gift,” she said, fan tucked in her obi — the wide kimono sash — pink and white parasol in her Hello Kitty shoulder bag.
From Washington Post • Mar. 23, 2022
She endorses the structured look so popular for this round of preview showings, with prominent shoulders and waist cinched in a wide obi belt.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 25, 2013
European designers have had a long affair with the kimono, the obi and platform sandal, and the chrysanthemum pinks.
From New York Times • Sep. 20, 2012
Once she saw my father use the obi, the divining coconut, to answer the questions of a godchild who had come to consult him.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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.
