ka·mi·ka·ze
ˌkä-mi-ˈkä-zē
1
: a member of a Japanese air attack corps in World War II assigned to make a suicidal crash on a target (such as a ship)
2
: an airplane containing explosives to be flown in a suicide crash on a target
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a kamikaze
2
: having or showing reckless disregard for safety or personal welfare
Did you know?
In 1274 and 1281 Kublai Khan, the Mongol emperor of China, sent out great fleets to conquer Japan. Providential storms dispersed the fleets on both occasions and reinforced the Japanese belief that their gods would forever protect them. To the Japanese this salvation was kamikaze, “divine wind.” In World War II Japanese pilots who were willing to give up their lives to help save their country by destroying American ships were the members of a special corps named kamikaze after the storm that had saved Japan seven centuries earlier.
Cite this Entry
“Kamikaze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kamikaze. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.
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