Definitions

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

  • noun professional wrestling The portrayal of events within the industry as real; the portrayal of professional wrestling and the accompanying storylines as not staged or worked.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Thought to have originated as carny slang for "protecting the secrets of the business"; may ultimately originate from Pig Latin for "fake" ("ake-fay") or the phrase "be fake" ("e-bay ake-fay").

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Examples

Comments

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  • The fake drama created between professional wrestlers, including rivalries, feuds, and romantic relationships. Pro wrestling has always been a glorified man-soap, but I never knew there was a term specifically for this.

    May 22, 2007

  • I understand kayfabe as being the code of conduct whereby professional wrestlers, carneys, and the like would not divulge the secrets of their professions. To "break kayfabe" is to transcend the fourth wall, allowing the public in on the act -- admitting that wrestling moves are not intended to cause pain, that feuds only exist "on stage", etc.

    April 15, 2009