Standard Lemma guide

netsuke

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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

Pronunciation

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.

  • US: /nɛtˈsu.ki/
  • US: /nɛtˈsu.keɪ/
  • US: /ˈnɛt.skeɪ/
  • US: /ˈnɛt.ski/

1

noun

Meaning 1

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Japanese 根付 (netsuke). Literally 根 (ne, “root”) + 付け (tsuke, “attach”).

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 根付 (gēnfù) — miniature sculpture
  • French: netsuke — miniature sculpture
  • German: Netsuke — miniature sculpture
  • Japanese: 根付 (netsuke) — miniature sculpture
  • Japanese: 根付け (netsuke) — miniature sculpture
  • Korean: 네쓰케 (nesseuke) — miniature sculpture
  • Portuguese: netsuke — miniature sculpture
  • Russian: нэ́цкэ (nɛ́ckɛ) — miniature sculpture
  • Russian: нэ́цукэ (nɛ́cukɛ) — miniature sculpture
  • Russian: нэ́цке (nɛ́cke) — miniature sculpture
  • Welsh: netswce — miniature sculpture