Shurikens

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of traditional Japanese concealed star-shaped weapon used for throwing
2. also referred to as a throwing star, utilized mainly for distraction or injury
3. these weapons are often associated with ninjas in popular culture and media

Etymology: The plural here is "shuriken" itself in Japanese, where the word is a single compound: 手 (te, "hand"), 裏 (ri, "inside") and 剣 (ken, "sword"), roughly "a sword hidden in the hand." The name describes the concealment rather than the weapon's shape, which fits its use as a small blade thrown or held out of sight. The Japanese word traces back to Middle Chinese, where the three elements were read as "hand," "inside" and "sword." Borrowed compounds like this kept their Chinese building blocks visible, so the literal sense of hidden-in-the-hand survives inside the Japanese form. In English, the word is a loanword from Japanese, and the plural is formed by simply adding "s" to the English noun. Because it names a specific Japanese object, it has stayed close to its original sense, and popular media has since tied it closely to ninjas.

Synonyms: throwing stars, ninja stars