Meanings
nounnetsuke (plural netsukes or netsuke)
plural netsukes
- A small, often collectible, artistic carving characterized by an opening or two small holes (紐通し (himotōshi)), most commonly made of wood or ivory, used as a fob at the end of a cord attached to a suspended pouch containing pens, medicines, or tobacco. Netsuke originated in feudal Japan in the late 16th and 17th centuries.
Origin
- Japanese根付
- Englishnetsuke
From Japanese 根付 (netsuke). Literally 根 (ne, “root”) + 付け (tsuke, “attach”).
More words from Japanese
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 根付
- 根付 (gēnfù)miniature sculpture
French netsuke
- netsukeminiature sculpture
German Netsuke
- Netsukeminiature sculpture
Japanese 根付, 根付け
- 根付 (netsuke)miniature sculpture
- 根付け (netsuke)miniature sculpture
Korean 네쓰케
- 네쓰케 (nesseuke)miniature sculpture
Portuguese netsuke
- netsukeminiature sculpture
Russian нэ́цкэ, нэ́цукэ
- нэ́цкэ (nɛ́ckɛ)miniature sculpture
- нэ́цукэ (nɛ́cukɛ)miniature sculpture
- нэ́цке (nɛ́cke)miniature sculpture
Welsh netswce
- netswceminiature sculpture
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
netsuke. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/netsuke
MLA
“netsuke.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/netsuke. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “netsuke,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/netsuke.
Source: netsuke on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.