Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
adj
Of or related to kayfabe, especially forbidden to mention or show in order to maintain kayfabe.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: government, hobbies, lifestyle, martial-arts, military, politics, professional-wrestling, sports, war, wrestling
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The act, situation, or code of portraying staged events, performances, rivalries, etc as authentic or spontaneous.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: government, hobbies, lifestyle, martial-arts, military, politics, professional-wrestling, sports, war, wrestling
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Similar fakery or suspension of disbelief in other contexts.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To maintain kayfabe, to deceive by staying in character.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: government, hobbies, lifestyle, martial-arts, military, politics, professional-wrestling, sports, war, wrestling
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Unknown, but attributed to US carnival slang (carny), usually as a purposefully obscure variant of the admonition “be fake” formed through backslang or mangled pig Latin. Also sometimes attributed to an alteration of cave (Latin for “beware”), keep cavey (“stay alert”), or an eponymous figure named Kay Fabe or Kay Fabian.
