is a form of traditional
Japanese theatre. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate
make-up worn by its performers. The individual
kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing (歌), dance (舞), and skill (伎). Kabuki is therefore sometimes translated as "the art of singing and dancing." These are, however,
ateji, characters that do not reflect actual
etymology. The word kabuki is believed to derive from the verb kabuku, meaning "to lean" or "to be out of the ordinary", so kabuki can be interpreted to mean "avant-garde" or "bizarre" theatre. The expression kabukimono (歌舞伎者) referred originally to wild urban gangs of young eccentrics who dressed outrageously and had strange hairstyles.
See more at Wikipedia.org...