kunai
1
9.9
A small pointed Japanese hand tool like a knife used for gardening or as a weapon
- noun
- /kuˈnaɪ/
:
kunai
- The ninja quickly drew his kunai to defend himself during the surprise attack.
Examples
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She carefully used the kunai to prune the branches of the bonsai tree.
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We can see the wedge shaped kunai up there.
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Feb. 1943: Soldiers of the Australian forces advance through a coconut grove and kunai grass in Japanese-occupied New Guinea during World War II.
Blog text (11) -
In the martial arts demonstration, the student showcased his skill with a kunai.
Synonyms
tanto
vskunai
1
9.9
A short Japanese sword that has a strong angled tip
is a small multipurpose hand tool used for work not primarily a weapon
Surface Forms
Etymology
Kunai comes from Japanese and is the name of a small pointed hand tool that gardeners used and that ninjas later used as a simple weapon. A helpful way to remember it is to think of a kunai as a small 'knife' or 'trowel' for digging or cutting, which explains why it is both a garden tool and a weapon.