gassho

English

Etymology

Japanese 合掌 (gasshō), from Middle Chinese 合掌 (ɣop-tʃáng, “Buddhist-style pressed-palm gesture of piety”) (compare Mandarin 合掌 (hézhǎng), Cantonese 合掌 (hap⁶ jeung²)), from 合 (“unite”) and 掌 (zhǎng, “palm”).

Noun

gassho (plural gasshos)

1. A ritual gesture of Eastern origin, with hands pressed together in front of the chest. It can be used for prayer or as a sign of greeting, gratitude, reverence, or apology. When performed with a bow, it is called gassho rei.

Synonyms

• namaste

Verb

gassho (third-person singular simple present gasshos, present participle gasshoing, simple past and past participle gasshoed)

1. (intransitive) To make this gesture.

Anagrams

• Goshas, goshas