kawarimi

K5A1W4A1R1I1M3I1

noun

A ninja technique relying on misdirection to quickly switch the ninja’s body with something that can be mistaken for it, such as a dummy, a mannequin, or another body.

OriginJapanese 変わり身 →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounkawarimi (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA ninja technique relying on misdirection to quickly switch the ninja’s body with something that can be mistaken for it, such as a dummy, a mannequin, or another body.

    Kawarimi; ancient Ninja art of misdirection. All you need is something some idiot can mistake you for... and some idiot.

    2000, Static, "They're Playing My Song", Static Shock

Origin

  1. Japanese変わり身
  2. Englishkawarimi

From Japanese 変わり身.

More words from Japanese

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

kawarimi. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kawarimi

MLA

“kawarimi.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kawarimi. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kawarimi,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kawarimi.

Source: kawarimi on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.