koan Definition
koan (kō′än′)
noun pl. ko′ans′, ko′an′
in Zen Buddhism, a verbal puzzle put to a student as a means to enlightenment
Etymology: Jpn < kō, public + an, (a matter for) investigation, consideration
koan Usage Examples
Converse of object
call: The method of Zen is to confront students with riddles called koans.
Noun used with modifier
Zen: She writes of the ' twisted ' interpretation of Zen koans.
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