shuriken

Where does the word "shuriken" come from? It comes from Japanese shuriken, and was adopted directly into English (1900s-1980s).

Shuriken’s story begins in Japanese: shuriken meant “a concealed throwing blade.” Literally 'hand-hidden blade', a small throwing weapon used by ninja and samurai retainers. It reached English by 1900s-1980s as shuriken. Spread through martial-arts and ninja pop culture. Today, shuriken means a small, sharp-edged Japanese throwing weapon, often called a 'throwing star'.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · medieval shuriken "a concealed throwing blade", literally 'hand-hidden blade', a small throwing weapon used by ninja and samurai retainers.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s-1980s shuriken "a small bladed throwing weapon, often star-shaped", spread through martial-arts and ninja pop culture.