Bunraku

noun

Bun·​ra·​ku bu̇n-ˈrä-(ˌ)kü How to pronounce Bunraku (audio)
: Japanese puppet theater featuring large costumed wooden puppets, puppeteers who are onstage, and a chanter who speaks all the lines

Examples of Bunraku in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The National Bunraku Theatre, in New York recently for the first time in more than thirty years, presented an evening of suicides. Jennifer Homans, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024 The bouncy round carrot-nosed Olaf is done Japanese Bunraku style, with musical theater veteranJeremy Davis standing behind an Olaf puppet, similarly dressed and enthusiastically voiced. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2024 Moshe directed the action thriller Bunraku, starring Josh Hartnett, LX 2048 and the drama Holly with Ron Livingston. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024 Michael is around three feet tall and is operated, Bunraku style, by three puppeteers. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Japanese

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Bunraku was in 1920

Dictionary Entries Near Bunraku

Cite this Entry

“Bunraku.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Bunraku. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.

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