English Explanatory Dictionary

Kobayashi Maru

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A scenario with no positive or favourable outcome; a no-win situation.

Pronunciation

/ˈkoʊbɑjɑʃi məˈruː/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-Kobayashi Maru.wav

Word forms

Kobayashi Maru Kobayashi Marus

Etymology

From the fictional Kobayashi Maru test, first introduced in the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, a training exercise in which Starfleet cadets face an intentionally unwinnable scenario as a test of character. The test involves the rescue of an eponymous vessel, named by Star Trek II screenwriter Jack B. Sowards after his neighbours, from the Japanese family name Kobayashi and maru (a suffix of Japanese ship names).

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