bokeh
/boʊˈkeɪ/
Japanese Origin
Art
Original Word
ボケ
Hiragana (boke)
Entered English
1990s
First recorded usage in English
The Story Behind "bokeh"
From Japanese 'boke' (ボケ), meaning 'blur' or 'haze', from the verb 'bokeru' (to become blurry). Adopted into photography terminology in the 1990s to describe the aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas in an image.
Example Usage
"The portrait lens produces beautiful creamy bokeh in the background."