Word.ws English Dictionary

raku

raku is the alternative letter-case form of Raku.

Proper noun (1) capitalized: Raku

Raku

  1. A style of Japanese pottery, considered the traditional style for the pottery used in the Japanese tea ceremony; (especially capitalized) such pottery made by the Raku family.
    • Raku bowls are of two types. The red Raku is made from a reddish earthenware clay and is glazed with a lead glaze.1968, Daniel Rhodes, Kilns: Design, Construction and Operation, page 180
    • Koetsu learned the technique of Raku pottery from the Raku potter Kichizaemon Jokei (1561-1635) and his son Nonko (aka Donyu; 1599-1656), who also had the name Kichibei.1989, Chanoyu Quarterly, number 58, page 38
  2. The English transliteration of a Japanese surname; specifically, that of the family traditionally licensed to manufacture the pottery.

Proper noun (2) capitalized: Raku

Raku

  1. A programming language derived from Perl.
    • Many programming paradigms have influenced Raku. It has started its life under the name “Perl 6” but has been renamed in 2019 to break the illusion that it is just another version of Perl.2020, Moritz Lenz, Raku Fundamentals, 2nd edition, Apress, →ISBN, page 1

Forms of raku

alternative formraku

Origin of raku

From Japanese 楽 (raku, “fun, delightful”). A seal engraved with this word was marked on the early pieces. It was the title and seal used by 15 generations of potters.

Probably a clipping of rakudo, the standard compiler, from Japanese 駱駝 (rakuda, “camel”), an allusion to the traditional symbol of the Perl language.

Words formed from raku

Questions about raku

What does raku mean?
Raku means a style of Japanese pottery, considered the traditional style for the pottery used in the Japanese tea ceremony; (especially capitalized) such pottery made by the Raku family.
What is raku the alternative letter-case form of?
Raku is the alternative letter-case form of Raku.
What part of speech is raku?
Raku is a proper noun.

Words near raku in the dictionary

  1. rakshases
  2. rakshasi
  3. rakshasis
  4. raksi
  5. Raktabija
  6. raku
  7. rakugan
  8. rakugo
  9. rakuware
  10. Rakvere
  11. raky

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: raku (page history and authors); Raku (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “raku.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/raku. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.