karaoke

English

Karaoke in an Irish pub

Etymology

From Japanese カラオケ (karaoke), from 空 (から, kara, “empty”) + オケ (oke, “orchestra”), abbreviation of オーケストラ (ōkesutora), from English orchestra.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkæ.ɹiˌəʊ.ki/, /ˈkæ.ɹəˌəʊ.ki/ (anglicized)
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌkæ.ɹiˈoʊ.ki/
• (emulating Japanese) IPA^(key): /kɑːrɑːˌokeɪ/

Usage notes

Pronounced both emulating Japanese (pure [ɑː] vowels, terminal [e̞], approximated by [ɛ] or [eɪ], “eh”), and, more commonly, in anglicized form ([æ] diphthong, terminal [iː], “ee”). Compare pronunciation of end of karate, which has undergone the same sound change, and of bokeh, which has not, as reflected in the spelling.

Noun

karaoke (countable and uncountable, plural karaokes)

1. (uncountable) A form of entertainment popular in clubs, at parties, etc, in which individual members of the public sing along to pre-recorded instrumental versions of popular songs, the lyrics of which are displayed for the singer on a screen in time with the music.
   • 1993 March, Michael J. Wagner; Brick, John S., “Using Karaoke in the Classroom”, Music Educators Journal, volume 79, number 7, ISSN 0027-4321, JSTOR 3398617, page 44: 

     The karaoke has been well received by those who frequent the oriental cabaret scene and adopt its particular social behaviors such as conversation, companionship, being seen, and showing off.

   • 2006 February 24, Bill Maher, Real Time with Bill Maher season 7 episode 2:

     American Idol will always have a place in my heart. It's where I met Clay. And what could be more exciting than televised karaoke?

   • 2008 December 9, Brian Raftery, Don't Stop Believin': How Karaoke Conquered the World and Changed My Life, Cambridge: Da Capo Press, ISBN 9780306815836, LCCN 2008034271, OCLC 191926214, OL 17073509M, page 1:

     I was always split on Henley. Then I found out that he doesn’t want people to sing his songs at karaoke. In fact, Henley actually forbids karaoke companies from rerecording songs in his catalog.

2. (countable) This word needs a definition. Please help out and add a definition, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Related terms

• karate

Derived terms

• karaoke bar
• karaoke club
• karaoke machine

Translations

A form of entertainment

• Arabic: كراوكي m (karaoke), كاراوكه m (karauukih)
• Armenian: կարաոկե (karaoke)
• Belarusian: караоке n (karaóke)
• Bulgarian: караоке n (karaóke)
• Catalan: karaoke (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 卡拉OK (zh) (kǎlǎ'ōukēi, kǎlā'ōukèi)

• Czech: karaoke n
• Esperanto: karaoko
• Finnish: karaoke (fi)
• French: karaoke (fr) m
• Georgian: კარაოკე (karaoke)
• German: Karaoke n
• Greek: καραόκε (karaóke)
• Hebrew: קריוקי (he) m (qaraoqe)
• Hindi: कराओके m (karā'oke)
• Japanese: カラオケ (ja) (karaoke)

• Korean: 노래방 (ko) (noraebang), 가라오케 (ko) (garaoke)
• Kyrgyz: караоке (ky) (karaoke)
• Lao: ກາຣາໂອເກະ
• Macedonian: караоке n (karaóke)
• Persian: کارائوکه, کارائوکی
• Portuguese: karaokê
• Russian: караоке (ru) n (karaóke)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: караоке n

  Roman: karaoke n

• Spanish: karaoke m
• Swedish: karaoke c
• Thai: คาราโอเกะ (karaoke)
• Ukrainian: караоке n (karaóke)
• Urdu: کراوکی m (karā'oke)
• Vietnamese: caraôkê, karaoke (vi)

See also

• a capella

---

Esperanto

Etymology

karaoko (“karaoke”) +‎ -e

Adverb

karaoke

1. in a karaoke manner

   kanti karaoke

   to sing karaoke

   • 2004 July 9, Tani Hiroyuki, “Re: Asia esperanto”, soc.culture.esperanto, Usenet:

     Se vi ŝatas kanti karaoke, vi estas karaokulo.

     If you like to sing karaoke, you are a ‘karaoke-er’.

   • 2005 May, Riitta Hämäläinen, “KEF post kvin jaroj refoje en Finnlando”, Esperanto en Danio, volume 12, number 2, Dana Esperanto-Asocio, ISSN 0909-6124: 

     “La plej amuza programero estos verŝajne esperanta karaokeo kun la efektiva bando mem – se nur iu kuraĝos karaoke kanti “Ĉu vi pretas” kun Dolchamar”, ridetas Riitta.

     “The most fun event will be, it seems, Esperanto karaoke with the actual band itself – if only someone will have the courage to sing karaoke “Ĉu vi pretas?” with Dolchamar”, smiles Riitta.

Related terms

• karaoka (“of or relating to karaoke”)
• karaokejo (“karaoke lounge”)
• karaoki (“to sing karaoke”)
• karaokilo (“karaoke machine”)

---

Japanese

Romanization

karaoke

1. Rōmaji reading of カラオケ

---

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ka.ɾa.ˈɔ.kɨ/
• Hyphenation: ka‧ra‧o‧ke

Noun

karaoke m (plural karaokes)

1. Alternative form of karaokê.

---

Spanish

Wikipedia ^es

Etymology

From English karaoke, from Japanese カラオケ (karaoke).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ka.ɾa.ˈo.ke/

Noun

karaoke m (uncountable)

1. karaoke
2. (slang, Chile) fellatio