Word
shuriken
/ˈʃʊɹɪkən/
Definition
n. a small, sharp weapon from Japan that is shaped like a star. You throw it by hand, and it is often called a 'ninja star'.
n. a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that is thrown by hand, typically shaped like a star or a spike. Often associated with ninjutsu, it is designed to distract or wound rather than deliver a fatal blow.
Examples
“The museum displays a collection of ancient shuriken.”
“In many martial arts films, the hero uses a shuriken to disarm an opponent from a distance.”
“While popular culture often depicts the shuriken as a primary lethal weapon, historical accounts suggest it was more frequently employed as a tactical tool for harassment or creating opportunities for escape.”
Examples
simple
“The museum displays a collection of ancient shuriken.”
contextual
“In many martial arts films, the hero uses a shuriken to disarm an opponent from a distance.”
complex
“While popular culture often depicts the shuriken as a primary lethal weapon, historical accounts suggest it was more frequently employed as a tactical tool for harassment or creating opportunities for escape.”
Usage
The plural form can be either 'shuriken' or 'shurikens'.
Real-World Examples
“A shuriken (Japanese: 手裏剣; lit. ' hand-hidden blade') is a Japanese concealed weapon used by samurai or ninja or in martial arts as a hidden dagger or metsubushi to distract or misdirect.” “The 1739 historical chronicle Jōzan’s Tales (Jōzan kidan), for instance, contains a mention from the late 16th century of a warrior named Yoshihiro throwing his sword as an emergency measure after being unhorsed: He was knocked from his horse, but he drew his sidearm and launched it as a throwing-blade (shuriken ni utsu), striking one of the Inoue archers in the thigh…” “These flattened stones - some with sharpened edges - are what Iwata believes to be early forms of the shuriken, or throwing star, used by ninjas.” Etymology
From Japanese 手裏剣 (shuriken), itself from Middle Chinese 手 (ʃúw, "hand") + 裏 (lí, "inside") + 劍 (kjæ̀m, "sword"). The compound names the concealed blade: hand, inside, sword.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/shuriken