kaomoji

[ kou-moh-jee ]

noun

, plural kao·mo·ji, kao·mo·jis.

1. Digital Technology. a Japanese-style emoticon that uses Japanese characters, Latin letters, and punctuation marks in combination to represent a facial expression that conveys an emotion. Unlike emoticons used by English speakers that depict the face horizontally, kaomoji are vertical depictions of faces, as (^.^) smiling eyes, (^_~) a winking eye, (>.<;) a bead of sweat, or sometimes include depiction of arms, as if raised in celebration \ ^^ /.

Word History and Origins

Origin of kaomoji¹

First recorded in 1985–90; from Japanese kao “face” + moji “(written) character”; emoji ( def )

Example Sentences

The November 2019 Update didn’t feel as big as the May 2019 one, which included a new light theme for Windows 10, alongside Kaomoji support, a Windows sandbox feature, and the separation of Cortana and Windows search.

From The Verge

You’ll be able to pick from a number of kaomoji, and there’s also now quick access to em dash and other symbols from the emoji picker.

From The Verge

The Windows 10 May 2019 Update includes a new light theme for Windows 10, alongside Kaomoji support, a Windows sandbox feature, and the separation of Cortana and Windows search.

From The Verge

The Windows 10 May 2019 Update includes a new light theme for Windows 10, alongside Kaomoji support, a Windows sandbox feature, and the separation of Cortana and Windows search.

From The Verge

Microsoft’s big visual change is a new light theme for Windows 10, alongside Kaomoji support, a Windows sandbox feature, and the separation of Cortana and Windows search.

From The Verge