tae kwon do

or tae·kwon·do

[ tahy kwon doh ]

noun

1. a Korean martial art, a particularly aggressive form of karate, that utilizes punches, jabs, chops, blocking and choking moves, and especially powerful, leaping kicks.

tae kwon do

/ ˈteɪ; ˈtaɪ ˈkwɒn ˈdəʊ /

noun

1. a Korean martial art that resembles karate

Word History and Origins

Origin of tae kwon do¹

1965–70; < Korean t’aekwŏndo, equivalent to t’ae- trample (< Middle Chinese, akin to Chinese tái ) + kwŏn fist (< Middle Chinese, akin to Chinese quán ) + -do, combining form of to way (< Middle Chinese, akin to Chinese dào )

Word History and Origins

Origin of tae kwon do¹

C20: Korean tae kick + kwon fist + do way, method

Related Words

• judo
• karate
• wrestling