kamikaze

(kä′mə kä)

adjective

  1. of or pertaining to a suicidal attack by a Japanese airplane pilot in WWII
  2. Informal very reckless, suicidal, etc.

Origin: Jpn, lit., divine wind < kami, god + kaze, the wind

noun

  1. the pilot or airplane in a kamikaze attack
  2. Informal a person who acts recklessly

See kamikaze in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. A Japanese pilot trained in World War II to make a suicidal crash attack, especially upon a ship.
  2. An airplane loaded with explosives to be piloted in a suicide attack.
  3. Slang An extremely reckless person who seems to court death.
adjective
  1. Of or relating to a suicidal air attack: a kamikaze mission.
  2. Slang So reckless in behavior or actions as to be suicidal: kamikaze hot rodders.

Origin:

Origin: Japanese, divine wind (from the legendary name of a typhoon that in 1281 saved Japan by destroying the Mongol navy)

Origin: : kami, divine

Origin: + kaze, wind

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