wakizashi

English

Etymology

From Japanese 脇差(わきざし) (wakizashi).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /wækɪˈzæʃi/
  • (US) IPA(key): /wɑkɪˈzɑʃi/, /wɑkiˈzɑʃi/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

wakizashi (plural wakizashi or wakizashis)

  1. A traditional Japanese shortsword, typically 30cm to 60cm (or nearly 12 inches to approx. 23.6 inches) in length, often used as a secondary weapon to a katana.
    • 1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, page 384:
      Hiro shoves Reason back into the zodiac, jumps in, and starts the motor. He doesn’t have time to untie the boat from the pontoon, so he snaps through the line with his wakizashi and takes off.

Translations

Translations

Further reading

Japanese

Romanization

wakizashi

  1. Rōmaji transcription of わきざし
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