Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A Japanese martial art in which sharp blows and kicks are administered to pressure-sensitive points on the body of an opponent.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun a traditional Japanese system of unarmed combat; sharp blows and kicks are given to pressure-sensitive points on the body of the opponent.

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

  • noun An Okinawan martial art involving primarily punching and kicking, but additionally, advanced throws, arm bars, grappling and all means of fighting.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a traditional Japanese system of unarmed combat; sharp blows and kicks are given to pressure-sensitive points on the body of the opponent

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Japanese : kara, empty + te, hand.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Borrowed from Japanese 空手 (karate), from 唐手 (karate), from Okinawan 唐手 (tūdī, "empty hand").

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Examples

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  • Means "empty hand."

    May 7, 2008