buto

or bu·toh

[ boo-toh ]

noun

1. a contemporary expressionist dance form that originated in postwar Japan, first called Ankoku Butoh, or Dance of Utter Darkness.

Word History and Origins

Origin of buto¹

First recorded in 1955–60; Japanese, literally “dance,” from (ankoku) butō “dance (of darkness)”

Example Sentences

Butoh is an Anglicized version of “buto,” derived from “ankoku buto,” which translates to “dance of darkness.”

From New York Times

The Buto tombs were oval-shaped pits with the corpses placed inside in a squatting position, mostly on their left sides with the head pointing west, the ministry statement said.

From Reuters

The tombs include 68 from the Buto period that began around 3300 B.C. and five from the Naqada III period, which was just before the emergence of Egypt’s first dynasty around 3100 B.C., according to a statement from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

From Reuters

Casey Buto, 23, peers into that same Schmidt-Cassegrain, which Heyn affectionately calls the Fells Point Hubble.

From Washington Times

Like so many of Heyn’s customers over the years, Buto and his friend Taryn Ward, who’s visiting from Rochester, N.Y., have never met anyone like the old man.

From Washington Times