menpo means the face mask of a Samurai warrior. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 84 out of 100.
Why “menpo” is a great word
MENPO — [Noun] A face mask, often ferociously fashioned, that formed the lower half of the facial armor (men-yoroi) of a samurai warrior. Borrowed from Japanese 面頬 (menpō), from 面 (men, "face, mask") + 頬 (hō, "cheek"). Unlike a *sōmen* (which encloses the entire head) or a *hannya* (a theatrical demon's visage), the menpo is a functional cheek-piece of battlefield psychology. It is the lacquered snarl of boar's-bristle mustaches, the cold glint of an iron-grated mouth, and the unsettling vacancy behind a fixed expression of rage—a crafted visage where the practical art of war meets the profound theater of fear.
Etymology
Borrowed from Japanese 面頬 (menpō).
noun
- The face mask of a Samurai warrior.