Definition of SEPPUKU

seppuku

Meanings

Plural: seppuku, seppukus

Noun

  • ritual suicide by self-disembowelment on a sword; practiced by samurai in the traditional Japanese society
  • A form of ritual suicide by disembowelment using a blade, practiced by Japanese samurai, especially to rid oneself of shame, as a means of protest, or, formerly, as a method of capital punishment.

Origin / Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 切腹 (seppuku), from Middle Chinese 切 (t͡set, “to cut”) + 腹 (pjuwk, “belly”). Compare Cantonese 切腹 (cit³ fuk¹) and Mandarin 切腹 (qiēfù).

Synonyms

hara-kiri, harakiri, harikari

Scrabble Score: 15

seppuku is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
seppuku is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
seppuku is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 19

seppuku is a valid Words With Friends word