HARA-KIRI Definition & Meaning

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hara-kiri

[ hahr-uh-keer-ee, har-uh-, har-ee- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Also called seppuku. ceremonial suicide by ripping open the abdomen with a dagger or knife: formerly practiced in Japan by members of the warrior class when disgraced or sentenced to death.
suicide or any suicidal action; a self-destructive act:
political hara-kiri.

hara-kiri

/ ˌhærəˈkɪrɪ; ˌhærɪˈkɑːrɪ /

noun

(formerly, in Japan) ritual suicide by disembowelment with a sword when disgraced or under sentence of death Also calledseppuku

hara-kiri

A ritual of suicide, associated with warriors in traditional Japanese society.

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of hara-kiri¹

First recorded in 1855–60; from Japanese, equivalent to hara “belly” (earlier fara, from unattested para ) + kiri “c�ܳ�”

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of hara-kiri¹

C19: from Japanese taboo slang, from hara belly + kiri cutting

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

So who is this man behind what seems like political hara-kiri for the opposition - an inside saboteur or a Zanu-PF proxy, as alleged by the CCC?

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He said such shame could only be washed away by committing seppuku - a form of suicide by disembowelment, also known as hara-kiri - at a meeting of the Japanese cabinet after Kishida's return.

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"We cannot commit hara-kiri with the hope of hurting Russia"

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But in the case of Yukio Mishima, the Japanese author known for novels including “The Temple of the Golden Pavilion” who died by ritual hara-kiri suicide in 1970,these two dimensions are neck and neck.

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He favored quick, dramatic moves; on his first day at Dunlop, he ousted 11 of the company’s 13 board members, something The Times of London deemed “management by hara-kiri.”

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