Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun this sense?) (countable) A costume that imitates a (usually fictional) character, especially from Japanese media (such as manga, anime, tokusatsu, video games, and Japanese pop music bands).
  • noun this sense?) (uncountable) The subculture centered on people wearing such costumes.
  • noun The art or practice of costuming oneself as a (usually fictional) character.
  • noun this sense?) A skit or instance of such play.
  • verb intransitive To costume oneself as (a character).

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Translation of Japanese コスプレ (kosupure), which is a contraction of コスチュームプレイ (kosuchūmu purei), a Japanese borrowing from English meaning costume play.

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Examples

Comments

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  • Though copyright holders may whinge

    Enthusiasts still will impinge,

    For they who would cosplay

    Don't care what the laws say,

    They think they are blessed to infringe.

    February 26, 2016