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origami

noun

  1. traditional Japanese art of paper folding
  2. a folded origami sculpture
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Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˌɒɹɪˈɡɑːmi/ / /ˌɔɹɪˈɡɑːmɪj/ / /ˌoɹəˈɡɑmi/

noun

Etymology: Borrowed from Japanese 折(お)り紙(がみ) (origami), from 折(お)り (ori, “to fold”) + 紙(かみ) (kami, “paper”).

  1. The Japanese art of paper folding.

    JongRak was a 10-year-old boy whose hands, eyes, and questions were all about origami: “Teacher, do you know how to fold a jumping frog?” With his deft little hands, he would teach me and the class how to fold a sunflower and a cicada. At some point, every kid’s little hands and pockets were filled with tiny origami models.

  2. A piece of art made by folding paper.

    The production notes are folded like the funny origamis that I made in grammar school (only I used to write boy's names inside each section).

  3. The materials science technology that applies the art of origami to products.
  4. The materials science that studies origami applications in various material.
  5. The mathematics field that studies folding two-dimensional surfaces into three-dimensional structures, using folds and creases akin to those in the art of origami.

verb

Etymology: Borrowed from Japanese 折(お)り紙(がみ) (origami), from 折(お)り (ori, “to fold”) + 紙(かみ) (kami, “paper”).

  1. To construct by means of decorative paper folding.

    He snatched my serviette and swiftly origamied a swan.