tae kwon do
3
4.8
- noun
- /teɪ kwɒn doʊ/
:
taekwondo
- The tournament showcased talented athletes skilled in tae kwon do, with impressive high kicks and techniques.
- black belt in tae kwon do
- tae kwon do black belt
- tae kwon do class
Examples
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And Sam here has done very, very well with her tae kwon do lessons.
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I have a black belt in tae kwon do, and I'm a second degree in Filipino street fighting.
Blog text (19) -
I know tae kwon do.
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I know Tae Kwon Do!
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I know tae kwon do.
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"Did he tell you why he wanted to learn Tae Kwon Do?"
Fiction book (1991) -
Fifteen years of tae kwon do classes just paid off.
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He wants to be a black belt in tae kwon do.
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I've studied kenpo and tae kwon do.
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You can do karate, kung fu, tae kwon do.
Synonyms
75
2.9
A traditional form of fighting practiced for self defense and sport
11
5.9
A Korean sport of fighting using high, fast kicks and spinning jumps
Surface Forms
Morphology
tae + kwon + do
This is a Korean loanword/proper name (taekwondo) whose first two elements are not English words and whose English gloss for 'do' does not yield the martial-arts sense. The meaning (a specific Korean martial art) is language-specific and cannot be derived compositionally by a B1 learner who only knows the provided constituent meanings, so prior exposure is required.
Etymology
Tae kwon do comes from Korean words: tae 'foot', kwon 'fist', and do 'way', so the phrase paints a picture of a 'way' that uses feet and fists. That's why tae kwon do means the fighting art known for high, fast kicks and strong strikes.