tae kwon do

or tae·kwon·do

[ tahy kwon doh ]

noun

1. a Korean martial art, a particularly aggressive form of karate, that utilizes punches, jabs, chops, blocking and choking moves, and especially powerful, leaping kicks.

tae kwon do

/ ˈteɪ; ˈtaɪ ˈkwɒn ˈdəʊ /

noun

1. a Korean martial art that resembles karate

Word History and Origins

Origin of tae kwon do¹

1965–70; < Korean t’aekwŏndo, equivalent to t’ae- trample (< Middle Chinese, akin to Chinese tái ) + kwŏn fist (< Middle Chinese, akin to Chinese quán ) + -do, combining form of to way (< Middle Chinese, akin to Chinese dào )

Word History and Origins

Origin of tae kwon do¹

C20: Korean tae kick + kwon fist + do way, method

Example Sentences

Kyu was not only skilled in the art of tae kwon do but also could play everything from classical music to Coldplay on the piano, his friends said.

From Seattle Times

In exchange for a room and tae kwon do training, Ray would clean the Moon family house and make their meals.

From Literature

Janette Lee, a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do who served as senior activities coordinator for the Little Tokyo Service Center, organized five self-defense classes this year.

From Los Angeles Times

“I fought really hard for the action piece,” says Brewster, who took up tae kwon do and started sending Lin training videos to pitch herself in action.

From Los Angeles Times

His mom’s solution was to keep him busy with physical activities such as tae kwon do and basketball.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• judo
• karate
• wrestling