THE FIRST WORD

kamikaze

PRONUNCIATION:

(kah-mi-KAH-zee) 

MEANING:

noun: Someone who behaves in a reckless, self-destructive manner.
adjective: Extremely reckless, potentially self-destructive.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Japanese kamikaze (divine wind), from kami (god, divinity) + kaze (wind). Earliest documented use: 1896.

NOTES:

In Japanese folklore, kamikaze was the divine wind that destroyed a Mongol invasion fleet under Kublai Khan. In World War II, the kamikaze were suicidal attacks by Japanese pilots who crashed their planes on an enemy target such as a ship.

USAGE:

"We're traveling along busy, multilane roads, and the kamikaze driving makes me glad that I'm not behind the handlebars. Romans drive as though they're playing a video game: They're fast and aggressive, taking turns as if they're in Super Mario Kart -- and the winner is the one reaching the next traffic light first."
Kelly DiNardo; Roam in Today's Chariot; The Washington Post; Aug 4, 2013.