Ja·pan (jə-păn′)
A country consisting of an archipelago off the eastern coast of Asia. The islands' indigenous culture was largely supplanted after c. 600 bc by settlers from the mainland, who adopted an imperial system of government modeled on China's. After a long period (12th-19th century) of domination by a series of shoguns, feudalism was abolished on the restoration of the emperor Mutsuhito (1868) and the country was opened to trade with the West. Japan's industrialization and expansionism led to a series of wars, culminating in its defeat (1945) in World War II. After the war Japan's economy was rebuilt with American assistance, developing an industrial sector centered around automobiles and electronics. Tokyo is the capital and the largest city.
Word History: In ad 670, during the early part of the Chinese Tang dynasty, Japanese scholars who had studied Chinese created a new name for their country using the Chinese phrase for "origin of the sun, sunrise," because Japan is located east of China. In the Chinese of the time (called Early Middle Chinese), the phrase was ŋit-pən'. To this the scholars added the Chinese word -kwək, "country," yielding a compound ŋit-pən'-kwək, "sun-origin-country, land of the rising sun." The consonant clusters in this word could not be pronounced in Old Japanese, and it became Nip-pon-koku or *Ni-pon-koku. The Modern Japanese names for Japan, Nippon and Nihon, come from the Old Japanese forms, minus the element meaning "country." Interestingly, the Chinese took to calling Japan by the name that the Japanese had invented, and the English name Japan ultimately derives from the Chinese version. In Mandarin Chinese, one of the descendants of Middle Chinese, the phrase evolved to Rìběnguó. Marco Polo records an early form of this as Chipangu, which he would have pronounced (chĭ-pän-go͞o) or (shĭ-pän-go͞o). The Chinese name was also borrowed into Malay as Japang, and in the 16th century, Portuguese traders borrowed the Malay name as Japão. The other ********s of Europe probably adopted the name from the Portuguese. The first known use of Japan in English dates from 1577, when it is spelled Giapan.
ja·pan (jə-păn′)
n.
1. A black enamel or lacquer used to produce a durable glossy finish.
2. An object decorated with this substance.
tr.v. ja·panned, ja·pan·ning, ja·pans
1. To decorate with a black enamel or lacquer.
2. To coat with a glossy finish.
[After Japan.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English ********, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Japan (dʒəˈpæn)
n
1. (Placename) an archipelago and empire in E Asia, extending for 3200 km (2000 miles) between the Sea of Japan and the Pacific and consisting of the main islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu and over 3000 smaller islands: feudalism abolished in 1871, followed by industrialization and expansion of territories, esp during World Wars I and II, when most of SE Asia came under Japanese control; dogma of the emperor's divinity abolished in 1946 under a new democratic constitution; rapid economic growth has made Japan the most industrialized nation in the Far East. Official ********: Japanese. Religion: Shintoist majority, large Buddhist minority. Currency: yen. Capital: Tokyo. Pop: 127 799 000 (2004 est). Area: 369 660 sq km (142 726 sq miles). Japanese names: Nippon or Nihon
japan (dʒəˈpæn)
n
1. (Crafts) a glossy durable black lacquer originally from the Orient, used on wood, ****l, etc
2. (Crafts) work decorated and varnished in the Japanese manner
3. (Crafts) a liquid used as a paint drier
adj
4. (Crafts) relating to or varnished with japan
vb, -pans, -panning or -panned
5. (Crafts) (tr) to lacquer with japan or any similar varnish
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
ja•pan (dʒəˈpæn)
n., adj., v. -panned, -pan•ning. n.
1. any of various durable black varnishes, orig. from Japan, for coating ****l or other surfaces.
2. work varnished and figured in the Japanese manner.
adj.
3. of or pertaining to japan.
v.t.
4. to varnish with japan or japanlike material; lacquer.
[1605–15]
ja•pan′ner, n.
Ja•pan (dʒəˈpæn)
n.
1. a constitutional monarchy on a chain of islands off the E coast of Asia: main islands, Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. 126,182,077; 141,529 sq. mi. (366,560 sq. km). Cap.: Tokyo. Japanese, Nihon, Nippon.
2. Sea of, the part of the Pacific Ocean between Japan and mainland Asia.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Japan
Japanism
1. devotion to or preference for the customs, policies, ********, or culture of Japan.
2. anything peculiar to or characteristic of Japan or its people.
Japonism, Japonisme
a style of art, idiom, custom, mannerism, etc., typical of the Japanese.
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
japan
Past participle: japanned
Gerund: japanning
Imperative
japan
japan
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun 1. Japan - a string of more than 3,000 islands to the east of Asia extending 1,300 miles between the Sea of Japan and the western Pacific OceanJapan - a string of more than 3,000 islands to the east of Asia extending 1,300 miles between the Sea of Japan and the western Pacific Ocean
Japanese Archipelago, Japanese Islands
Ezo, Hokkaido, Yezo - the second largest of the four main islands of Japan; to the north of Honshu
Hondo, Honshu - the central and largest of the four main islands of Japan; between the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean; regarded as the Japanese mainland
Kyushu - the southernmost of the four main islands of Japan; contains coal fields
Shikoku - the smallest of the four main islands of Japan; to the south of Honshu and to the east of Kyushu; separated from Honshu by the Inland Sea; forested and mountainous
Osaka Bay - a bay of the western Pacific in southern Honshu
Pacific, Pacific Ocean - the largest ocean in the world
2. Japan - a constitutional monarchy occupying the Japanese ArchipelagoJapan - a constitutional monarchy occupying the Japanese Archipelago; a world leader in electronics and automobile manufacture and ship building
Nihon, Nippon
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