Bon

¹ American

[bon, bawn] / bɒn, bɔ̃ /

noun

Cape, a cape on the NE coast of Tunisia: surrender of the German African forces, May 12, 1943.

Bon ² American

[bawn] / bɔn /

noun

an annual festival of the Japanese Buddhists, welcoming ancestral spirits to household altars.

Bön ³ American

[bohn] / boʊn /

noun

a shamanistic Tibetan sect, absorbed by the first Buddhist sects of the 7th century and later.

Bon ¹ British

/ bɔːn /

noun

Also called: Feast of Lanterns. Festival of Lanterns. an annual festival celebrated by Japanese Buddhists
1. the pre-Buddhist priests of Tibet or one such priest
2. their religion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Bon ² British

/ bɒn /

noun

a peninsula of NE Tunisia

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Bon

< Japanese, originally Urabon < Chinese version of Sanskrit ullambana literally, hanging upside down (a metaphor for the suffering brought on by physical desires)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He backed two culinary standouts—Bon Vivant, perched at 11,200 feet, and Alpino Vino, billed as North America’s highest-elevation fine-dining restaurant and known for its tomato soup and signature grilled cheese.

From The Wall Street Journal

In "Ya Bon" he criticised current and past African heads of state who he says have maintained a "servile relationship with the coloniser".

From Barron's

I have the same issue with this State Farm ad, which does not feature Jon Bon Jovi, but does let Keegan-Michael Key play a hammy, Reddit-y cover of “Living On A Prayer”—a song near and dear to my heart.

From Slate

Wahlberg's fellow New England fan Jon Bon Jovi will introduce the Patriots players on Sunday, with actor Chris Pratt, a Seattle supporter, doing the honours for the Seahawks.

From BBC

Prior to joining WSJ, she was a contributing photographer/visuals editor at Bon Appétit and Epicurious.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023