tatami

noun

ta·​ta·​mi tä-ˈtä-mē How to pronounce tatami (audio)
ta-
plural tatami or tatamis
: straw matting used as a floor covering in a Japanese home

Examples of tatami in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The two-floor structure welcomes you in with a main level equipped with a full kitchen, two bathrooms, and a tatami room that converts into a spare bedroom. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 Apr. 2026 The kitchen of the restaurant is crawling with maggots, the damp eats away at the tatami mats and wallpaper decorated with a design of a forest landscape. — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026 These towns have many options for Western-style hotels with beds or Japanese-style ryokan (inns) with tatami mats and futon mattresses. — Yukari Sakamoto, AFAR Media, 30 Jan. 2026 There’s a day spa and tea house, with 35 rooms, all tatami calm and with baths fed by alkaline hot spring water sourced from Ashinoko Onsen in Hakone. — David Hochman, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for tatami

Word History

Etymology

Japanese

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tatami was in 1614

Rhymes for tatami

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Browse Nearby Words

tatajuba
tatami
Tatar
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tatami.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tatami. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tatami

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tatami

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