Seppuku meaning
A form of ritual suicide by disembowelment using a blade, practiced by Japanese samurai, especially to rid oneself of shame, as a means of protest or, formerly, as a method of capital punishment.
noun
Ritual suicide by disembowelment formerly practiced by Japanese samurai.
noun
Advertisement
Origin of seppuku
- Japanese setsu to cut (from Middle Chinese tshiat) (also the source of Mandarin qiè) fuku stomach, abdomen (from Middle Chinese fuwk) (also the source of Mandarin fù)
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Japanese 切腹, ã›ã£ã·ã (seppuku), from Middle Chinese 切 (tÍ¡set "to cut") + è…¹ (pjuwk "belly") (compare Cantonese tsit-fuk 切腹, Mandarin qiÄ“fù 切腹).
From Wiktionary