SINCE 1828
tatami
noun
ta·ta·mi
| \ tä-ˈtä-mē
, ta-\
, ta-\
plural tatami
or tatamis
Definition of tatami
: straw matting used as a floor covering in a Japanese home
Examples of tatami in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Diners remove shoes, step on to tatami flooring and sit on a cushion before a low table. — The Seattle Times, "Hungry? Tokyo’s food meets visitor appetites for history and modernity," 7 Sep. 2018 He initially was placed in a room of three tatami mats, about 80 square feet, and was sleeping on a futon, but was moved to a larger room with a bed, the lawyer said. — Peter Landers, WSJ, "After 50 Long Days in Jail, Ghosn Is Sharp as He Prepares His Defense," 8 Jan. 2019 Born into a poor family of tatami-mat makers, the legally blind Asahara drew thousands of followers into his sect, which prophesied an imminent Armageddon in which its followers would seize power and achieve salvation. — Author: Stuart Biggs, Gearoid Reidy, Anchorage Daily News, "Japan executes cult leader and 6 others for deadly 1995 sarin attack," 6 July 2018 Surrounding a main dining room with Western tables and chairs are the private zashiki rooms where shoes are left outside, floors are hidden under tatami mats and servers materialize at the sliding doors with the push of a button. — New York Times, "The Restaurant That Became Japan’s Unofficial Ambassador," 3 July 2018 Magazine Nakahigashi’s restaurant, located not far from Monk, has only 12 counter seats (plus two small tatami rooms upstairs). — Tom Downey, WSJ, "Explore Kyoto With the Chefs Who Are Turning Culinary Tradition on Its Head," 28 May 2018 On a smoggy day in late May, the Alibaba founder chooses to meet in his Japanese sitting room, with tatami mats, low-slung chairs, and traditional Chinese instrumental music playing softly on wall speakers. — Adam Lashinsky, Fortune, "Alibaba v. Tencent: The Battle for Supremacy in China," 21 June 2018 Watching sumo requires that visitors sit on tatami mats and are absolutely still and silent for approximately two hours. — Scott Gilman, Town & Country, "How to Plan a Trip to Japan," 5 Oct. 2016 Team members, aware of Wright’s interest in Japanese aesthetics, also tested proportions based on the dimensions of a traditional tatami mat to fill in the gaps in the Banff drawing. — Vipal Monga, WSJ, "The Quest to Recover a Lost Frank Lloyd Wright Building," 30 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tatami.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on tatami
What made you want to look up tatami? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
A Green Quiz
-
- What is the best definition of green-eyed monster?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share tatami
Resources for tatami