hara-kiri Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun ritual suicide by self-disembowelment on a sword; practiced by samurai in the traditional Japanese society
    harakiri; seppuku; harikari.

WordNet

Ha"ra-ki`ri noun
Etymology
Jap., stomach cutting.
Definitions
  1. Suicide, by slashing the abdomen, formerly practiced in Japan, and commanded by the government in the cases of disgraced officials; disembowelment; -- also written, but incorrectly, hari-kari. W. E. Griffis.

Webster 1913