yokozuna
1
9.9
The highest rank a professional sumo wrestler can reach in Japan
- noun
- /joʊkəˈzuːnə/
- Specialized
:
yokozuna
- I had no reason to doubt him; but if Mameha ever took half as much time entering a party as these yokozuna took entering the ring, she'd certainly never be invited back.
- yokozuna (grand champion
- yokozuna, or grand
Examples
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In professional sumo, reaching the rank of yokozuna signifies that a wrestler has achieved the highest honor in the sport.
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A yokozuna is the very highest rank in sumo—"just like Mameha's position in Gion," as Nobu explained it to me.
Fiction book (1997) -
Two more special ceremonies followed, one for each of the two yokozuna.
Fiction book (1997) -
You almost made yokozuna.
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Hakuho is a famous yokozuna known for his incredible skill and numerous championship victories.
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The ritual ceremony to officially proclaim a new yokozuna is a significant event in Japanese culture.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Yokozuna comes from Japanese parts yoko ('side' or 'horizontal') and tsuna ('rope'). It originally named the thick rope worn across the body by the top sumo wrestler, so a yokozuna is the highest rank in professional sumo.