Word
karate
US/kɝˈɑti/
UK/kəɹˈɑːti/
Definitions
01the martial art
n. a sport and method of fighting where you use your hands and feet to strike an opponent.
n. an Okinawan martial art primarily involving striking techniques like punching and kicking. Uncountable in its general sense.
“She has been practicing karate since she was six years old and just got her black belt.”
“The local community centre offers karate classes for all ages, focusing on both physical discipline and the philosophical foundations of the art.”
Usage
Usually used with the verb 'do' or 'practice'.
Synonyms
02to strike someone
v. to hit someone or something using karate moves.
v. to attack or strike a person or object using techniques associated with karate. Transitive — requires a direct object.
“In the movie, the hero managed to karate his way through the group of villains.”
“The protagonist attempted to karate the locked door open, though he only succeeded in bruising his foot.”
Informal
Teaching tip
This verbal use is informal and often used humorously or in action-movie contexts; it is not a technical term used by actual martial artists.
Etymology
Borrowed from Japanese 空(から)手(て) (karate), from 唐(から)手(て) (karate), an orthographic borrowing from Okinawan 唐手(とーでぃー) (tōdī, “Chinese hand”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/karate