tatami

noun

ta·​ta·​mi tä-ˈtä-mē 

ta-

plural tatami or tatamis

: straw matting used as a floor covering in a Japanese home

Examples of tatami in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The elegant, minimalist light pendants feel very Japanese, as do the large tatami mat–slash–window seats and ceramic wall hangings repaired with gold à la kintsugi. —Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2025

Details like washi paper sliding screens, tatami mats, and woven baskets for carrying your toiletries to the onsen create a strong sense of place. —Yukari Sakamoto, AFAR Media, 27 May 2025

Every day, Instagram is flooded with countless carousels of girls roaming the streets of Tokyo in oversize denim jackets, or posing in kimonos on traditional tatami mats. —Elena Clavarino, Air Mail, 5 Apr. 2025

Choose from sofa-style seats, cozy box seats and private tatami rooms that can accommodate up to six with mats, seating, tables and big windows from which to watch the landscape roll by. —The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Japanese

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tatami

• salami
• thalami
• tsunami
• balmy
• brahmi
• commie
• mommy
• palmy
• rami
• saami
• swami
• swamy