satori

Meaning

1. (uncountable, usually) A sudden inexpressible feeling of spiritual enlightenment or understanding, the result of meditation and study.
2. (figuratively, uncountable, usually) Enlightenment, epiphany.
3. (countable, usually) A mutant gene of Drosophila, a genus of fruit flies, that causes homosexual behaviour in males (specifically, courtship directed to other males).

Synonyms

comprehension

understanding

Buddhist enlightenment

Translations

ساتوري - إدراك روحي في البوذيّة

satori

Auffassungsgabe

Erleuchtung

Fassungskraft

Verständnis

Begreifen

Verstehen

compréhension

saisir

éveil spirituel bouddhique

satori

satori

satori

Pronounced as (IPA)

/sæˈtɔːɹi/

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 悟り (satori, “understanding; (Buddhism) enlightenment, satori”), from 悟る (satoru, “to perceive; to comprehend, understand; to come to enlightenment”), from Middle Chinese 悟 (nguH, “to become aware, apprehend, realize; to awaken”) (modern Mandarin 悟 (wù)), used to translate Pali bodhi (“supreme knowledge”) or its etymon Sanskrit बोधि (bodhi, “perfect knowledge or wisdom by which a person becomes a buddha or jina; enlightened or illuminated intellect of a Buddha or jina”).
Sense 3 (“mutant gene of Drosophila that causes homosexual behaviour in males”) was coined by the Japanese scientist Daisuke Yamamoto in a 1991 paper, based on the Japanese term.