Word
cosplay
Phoneticscos·play
/ˈkɑzˌpleɪ/
Definition
n. the activity of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game. You often see people doing this at fan conventions or special events.
n. the practice of dressing as a character from a work of fiction, especially from Japanese media such as manga or anime. A blend of 'costume' and 'play', referring to both the attire and the performance of the character's persona.
Examples
“Her cosplay of the superhero looks exactly like the movie character.”
“Thousands of fans arrived at the convention center in elaborate cosplay, ranging from simple masks to complex mechanical suits.”
“While some view it as a mere hobby, professional cosplay requires significant skill in tailoring, prop fabrication, and theatrical performance to accurately represent iconic fictional figures.”
Examples
simple
“Her cosplay of the superhero looks exactly like the movie character.”
contextual
“Thousands of fans arrived at the convention center in elaborate cosplay, ranging from simple masks to complex mechanical suits.”
complex
“While some view it as a mere hobby, professional cosplay requires significant skill in tailoring, prop fabrication, and theatrical performance to accurately represent iconic fictional figures.”
Usage
Can refer to the activity itself (uncountable) or a specific costume/performance (countable). Also functions as a verb meaning to engage in this activity.
Real-World Examples
“But it is not at all unusual in the world of cosplay - where people dress up as a character, often from video games, fantasy settings or science fiction.” “Cosplay" is a fancy dress art form from Japan where devotees "play" anime or comic book characters.” “It was the climactic point of LA Cosplay Con, the first of what the organisers hope will be an annual gathering of "cosplayers" - people who dress up like characters from, mostly, video games and comics.” “For those unfamiliar, "cosplay" is a fusion of costuming and roleplay, a tradition that has its roots in Japanese fan culture.” Etymology
From Japanese コスプレ (kosupure), a clipping of コスチュームプレイ (kosuchūmu purei), itself a compound of English costume + play.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
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englishreference.com/q/cosplay