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Synonyms

tae kwon do

American  
[tahy kwon doh] / ˈtaɪ ˈkwɒn ˈdoʊ /
Or taekwondo

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 British  
/ ˈteɪ, ˈtaɪ ˈkwɒn ˈdəʊ /

noun

  1. a Korean martial art that resembles karate

"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

Etymology

Origin of tae kwon do

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 )

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.

Janette Lee, a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do who served as senior activities coordinator for the Little Tokyo Service Center, organized five self-defense classes this year.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 21, 2021

Six are students of tae kwon do, and seven are students of shotokan karate.

From Textbooks • Mar. 27, 2020

He loved video games and had a black belt in tae kwon do.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 20, 2019

This time, the 25-year-old left-hander is trying a more aggressive, mixed-martial arts approach to his training that includes tae kwon do, jiujitsu and kickboxing.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 15, 2019

Guys are always asking me if I took tae kwon do, or went to camp, or was in Boy Scouts with them last year.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

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