Kamikaze

//ˌkɑː.mɪˈkɑː.ziː// adj, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Suicidal, risking one's own life. not-comparable

    "Sheathed in helmets, gloves, and jackets, they look more like manic video game figures than humans. They weave through traffic and around double-decker buses at kamikaze velocity."

  2. 2
    Having or showing reckless disregard for safety or personal welfare. not-comparable
Noun
  1. 1
    An attack requiring the suicide of the one carrying it out, especially when done with an aircraft. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    a fighter plane used for suicide missions by Japanese pilots in World War II wordnet
  3. 3
    One who carries out a suicide attack, especially with an aircraft. countable
  4. 4
    a pilot trained and willing to cause a suicidal crash wordnet
  5. 5
    A vehicle used for a suicide attack, especially an aircraft. countable

    "Coupled with this were issues involving actually getting enough torpedoes out there to the fleet in the first place! Whilst they were a munition, a torpedo is far more complex and took far longer to build than a shell for a naval gun, even a battleship shell. Torpedoes, remember, are effectively small self-guiding kamikaze submarines, and, so, unless you have a large factory and an extensive production line going, you're only gonna see handfuls produced each year."

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    One who takes excessive risks, as for example in a sporting event. colloquial, countable
  2. 7
    A cocktail made of equal parts vodka, triple sec and lime juice. countable

    "Only top-shelf liquor is served, though Sasha refuses to serve drinks he deems fratlike. These include woo woos, kamikazes and shots of any kind."

  3. 8
    A deliberate wipeout. countable
Verb
  1. 1
    To destroy (a ship, etc.) in a suicide attack, especially by crashing an aircraft. transitive
  2. 2
    To carry out a suicide attack, especially by crashing an aircraft. intransitive
  3. 3
    To fail disastrously. intransitive, slang

Etymology

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Japanese 神風(かみかぜ) (kamikaze, “divine wind”), from 神(かみ) (kami, “divine”) + 風(かぜ) (kaze, “wind”); which originally referred to the typhoon that destroyed the Mongol navy attacking Japan in 1281.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Japanese 神風(かみかぜ) (kamikaze, “divine wind”), from 神(かみ) (kami, “divine”) + 風(かぜ) (kaze, “wind”); which originally referred to the typhoon that destroyed the Mongol navy attacking Japan in 1281.

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Japanese 神風(かみかぜ) (kamikaze, “divine wind”), from 神(かみ) (kami, “divine”) + 風(かぜ) (kaze, “wind”); which originally referred to the typhoon that destroyed the Mongol navy attacking Japan in 1281.

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