kinboshi means An honour awarded to a rikishi of maegashira rank upon beating a yokozuna. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why this word is great
KINBOSHI — [Noun] In sumo, a gold star awarded to a maegashira-ranked wrestler for toppling a yokozuna, conferring a permanent salary bonus. Borrowed from Japanese 金星 (kinboshi), a compound of 金 (kin, "gold") + 星 (hoshi, "star"). Unlike yusho (a tournament championship, a crown for sustained dominance) or kachi-koshi (a winning record, the baseline of seasonal success), kinboshi is the glory of the singular, seismic upset. It is the electric shock in the humid arena as the giant teeters, the tangible coolness of the gold-leafed star on the ranking sheet, and the enduring weight of one perfect moment that forever alters a ledger—a quiet testament that a system built on hierarchy reserves its highest honor for an act of toppling it.
noun
- An honour awarded to a rikishi of maegashira rank upon beating a yokozuna.