noun ·2 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A black-clad person who enters the stage to rearrange the set, unremarked by the actors

   "McAllister uses the Japanese device of the koken for changing scenes, distributing props, and creating furniture."

Example

More examples

"McAllister uses the Japanese device of the koken for changing scenes, distributing props, and creating furniture."

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 後見(こうけん) (kōken, “a staff in noh and kabuki”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.