English▸ noun [mass noun] a system of unarmed combat using the hands and feet to deliver and block blows, widely practised as a sport:
she is a black belt in karate.
Karate was formalized in Okinawa, Japan in the 17th century, and became popular in the West from the 1920s. It is performed barefoot in loose padded clothing, with a coloured belt indicating the level of skill, and involves mental as well as physical training.
– ORIGIN Japanese, from kara ‘empty’ + te ‘hand’.