kamikaze
noun
- Japanese WWII suicide pilot
adjective
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L726619 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˌkɑː.mɪˈkɑː.ziː/ / /ˌkɑ.mɪˈkɑ.zi/ / /ˌkɐː.mɪˈkɐː.ziː/
adj
Etymology: 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.
- Suicidal, risking one's own life.
“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.”
- Having or showing reckless disregard for safety or personal welfare.
noun
Etymology: 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.
- An attack requiring the suicide of the one carrying it out, especially when done with an aircraft.
- One who carries out a suicide attack, especially with an aircraft.
- A vehicle used for a suicide attack, especially an aircraft.
“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.”
“The Ukrainians themselves have been using kamikaze drones to strike against Russian targets – and asked their allies to supply them with more of these deadly weapons.”
- One who takes excessive risks, as for example in a sporting event.
- A cocktail made of equal parts vodka, triple sec and lime juice.
“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.”
- A deliberate wipeout.
verb
Etymology: 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.
- To destroy (a ship, etc.) in a suicide attack, especially by crashing an aircraft.
- To carry out a suicide attack, especially by crashing an aircraft.
- To fail disastrously.