origami

noun

ori·​ga·​mi ˌȯr-ə-ˈgä-mē How to pronounce origami (audio)
: the Japanese art or process of folding squares of paper into representational shapes

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The millions of proteins in each of your cells fold into intricate 3D structures, a bit like works of origami. San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2021 Some of the services that are geared toward seniors often host group activities like tea time and origami folding. Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 5 May 2023 FoldHaus Collective, an art collective based out of both the U.S. and Germany, presents Shrumen Lumen, a garden of origami mushrooms with caps that expand and contract from a flat umbrella portobello to a bulbous cap when visitors activate them. Melinda Sheckells, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Apr. 2023 The event will feature traditional Japanese dance and music, origami folding and sketching sessions. Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2023 From origami enthusiasts to aerospace engineers Ruble and Jensen began their paper plane engineering careers while in middle school, participating in paper airplane events held at Boeing. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 14 Apr. 2023 One of Mizushima’s events is her 1000 Origami Cranes for Wellness workshops, where participants fold 1,000 origami cranes for mental wellness. Phi Do, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2023 During the visit, Prince William and Princess Kate got their own lesson in making origami cranes, guided by two young women who were raising funds by making hundreds of of the paper birds. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2023 To make, fold the origami square in half diagonally to make a triangle, then in half horizontally. Good Housekeeping Editors, Good Housekeeping, 23 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'origami.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, from ori fold + kami paper

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of origami was in 1948

Dictionary Entries Near origami

Cite this Entry

“Origami.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/origami. Accessed 2 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

origami

noun
ori·​ga·​mi ˌȯr-ə-ˈgäm-ē How to pronounce origami (audio)
: the Japanese art of folding paper into shapes

More from Merriam-Webster on origami

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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