刀katana
Quick definition:Katana is the Japanese long sword with a curved, single-edged blade, famously carried by samurai, and it is a standard weapon and symbol in historical anime and manga.
Meaning
Katana is the name for the long, curved, single-edged sword associated with samurai. It is usually worn with the edge facing up through a sash, and it often forms a pair with a shorter sword. A katana often has a blade of about seventy centimetres, a handle wrapped in cord and a small guard called a tsuba.
Swordsmiths made katana by folding and hammering steel, and the finished blade is polished to show a wavy pattern along the edge. Swords are valued as works of art as well as weapons, and many are kept in museums and shrines. Care and respect for the blade are part of the sword's tradition.
In anime and manga the katana is the classic weapon of the samurai hero, the ninja and the wandering swordsman, and it appears in modern and fantasy stories too. Special katana with unusual powers, names and histories are a popular device, and a sword's design often shows the owner's personality.
Origin:Katana is a Japanese word that was originally a general term for a sword or blade, written with a single character. The word came to describe the long curved sword used by samurai, which developed in the medieval period. English adopted the word through trade and popular culture, and fans learned it through anime and films.
Example:A swordsman stands in a quiet bamboo forest, rests his hand on the hilt of his katana and waits. When the enemy rushes forward, the blade is drawn in a single flash and returned to its sheath, and the opponent realises a moment later that the fight is over.
Did you know?The sword's curve is partly the result of how it is made. During hardening, the edge and the spine cool at different rates, which makes the blade bend slightly, and smiths use this effect on purpose. The method also creates a visible line along the blade, called the hamon.
