ukiyo-e

[ yoo-kee-oh-ey; Japanese oo-kee-yaw-e ]

noun

1. a genre style of painting and printmaking developed in Japan from the 17th to the 19th centuries and marked by the depiction of the leisure activities of ordinary people.

ukiyo-e

/ ˌuːkiːjəʊˈjeɪ /

noun

1. a school of Japanese painting depicting subjects from everyday life

Word History and Origins

Origin of ukiyo-e¹

1895–1900; < Japanese, equivalent to uki-yo transitory world ( uki float + yo world) + ( w ) e picture (perhaps < Middle Chinese; compare Chinese huà )

Word History and Origins

Origin of ukiyo-e¹

Japanese: pictures of the floating world