kecak

noun

ke·​cak ˈke-ˌchäk How to pronounce kecak (audio)
variants or less commonly ketjak
: a Balinese dance and rhythmic chant depicting the battle from the Hindu epic Ramayana in which the god Rama fights the demonic King Ravana with the help of the monkey god Hanuman
The kecak became a performance by men playing the part of an army of monkeys that helps Prince Rama rescue Princess Sita …J. S. Eades, translation of Shinji Yamashita, Bali and Beyond, 2003

called also Ramayana monkey chant

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kecak was circa 1937

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Dictionary Entries Near kecak

Cite this Entry

“Kecak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kecak. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.

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