Zen
[ zen ]
/ zɛn /
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noun
Chinese Ch'an [chahn] /tʃɑn/ .Buddhism. a Mahayana movement, introduced into China in the 6th century a.d. and into Japan in the 12th century, that emphasizes enlightenment for the student by means of meditation and direct, intuitive insights, accepting formal studies and observances only when they form part of such means.Compare koan, mondo1.
the discipline and practice of this sect.
(lowercase) a state of meditative calm in which one uses direct, intuitive insights as a way of thinking and acting.
adjective
of or relating to Zen Buddhism: Zen monasteries.
having characteristics or qualities associated with the discipline or practice of Zen Buddhism: Fishing is a Zen hobby.
(sometimes lowercase) relaxed and calmly accepting of a situation: I’m usually very Zen about my investments.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!
Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!
Question 1 of 7
Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT Also called Zen Buddhism (for defs. 1, 2) .
Origin of Zen
First recorded in 1725–30; <Japanese, from Middle Chinese, equivalent to Mandarin Chinese chán “meditation, contemplation,” from Pali jhāna, from Sanskrit dhyāna, from the verb dhyāti “he meditates” (i.e., “sees mentally”), ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root (and its variants) dheiə-, dhyeə-, dhyā- “to look, see.”
OTHER WORDS FROM Zen
Zenic, adjectiveWords nearby Zen
zemindary, zemiroth, Zemlinsky, zemstvo, Zemzem, Zen, zenana, Zen Buddhism, Zend, Zend-Avesta, zendo
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for Zen
British Dictionary definitions for Zen
Zen
/ (zɛn) Buddhism /
noun
a Japanese school, of 12th-century Chinese origin, teaching that contemplation of one's essential nature to the exclusion of all else is the only way of achieving pure enlightenment
(modifier) of or relating to this schoolZen Buddhism
Derived forms of Zen
Zenic, adjectiveZenist, nounWord Origin for Zen
from Japanese, from Chinese ch'an religious meditation, from Pali jhāna, from Sanskrit dhyāna
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Cultural definitions for Zen
Zen
An approach to religion, arising from Buddhism, that seeks religious enlightenment by meditation in which there is no consciousness of self.
notes for Zen
Deliberately irrational statements are sometimes used in Zen to jar persons into realizing the limits of the common uses of the intellect. One well-known example is, “What is the sound of one hand clapping?”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.