Meanings
nounkitsune (plural kitsune or kitsunes)
plural kitsunes
- Japanesehuman sciencesA Japanese fox spirit, often but not exclusively female, said to have powers such as shape-shifting, and whose power is symbolized by increase in number of tails.
[A]ll personnel are to be hereby ordered to refer to her as a "Kumiho," and not a "Kitsune." Personnel asking what the difference is are to be reminded of the difference between a Cherokee Indian and a New Delhi Indian.
2025, collective, “SCP-953”, in SCP Foundation
Origin
- Japanese狐“fox”
- Englishkitsune
From Japanese 狐 (kitsune, “fox”).
More words from Japanese
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic كِيتْسُونِه
- كِيتْسُونِه (kītsūnih)Japanese fox spirit
Chinese Mandarin 狐
- 狐 (hú)Japanese fox spirit
Czech kicune
- kicuneJapanese fox spirit
Esperanto kicuneo
- kicuneoJapanese fox spirit
Finnish kitsune
- kitsuneJapanese fox spirit
French kitsune, kitsuné
- kitsuneJapanese fox spirit
- kitsunéJapanese fox spirit
Greek κιτσούνε
- κιτσούνε (kitsoúne)Japanese fox spirit
Hungarian kicune
- kicuneJapanese fox spirit
Italian kitsune
- kitsuneJapanese fox spirit
Japanese 妖狐, 天狐
- 妖狐 (yōko)Japanese fox spirit
- 天狐 (tenko)Japanese fox spirit
Korean 키츠네
- 키츠네 (kicheune)Japanese fox spirit
Latvian kicune
- kicuneJapanese fox spirit
Persian کیتسونه
- کیتسونه (kitsune)Japanese fox spirit
Russian кицу́нэ
- кицу́нэ (kicúnɛ)Japanese fox spirit
Swedish kitsune
- kitsuneJapanese fox spirit
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with kitsune
junesoonmooncartoonafternoontunenoontribuneimmuneballoonuniCameroonspoonsaloonlagoontoontycoondunenuntyphoonRooneyboonmonsoonplatoon
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
kitsune. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kitsune
MLA
“kitsune.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kitsune. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kitsune,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kitsune.
Source: kitsune on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.