rasa
Rasa (noun) means In Indian aesthetics, the dominant emotional flavor or mood that a work of art, dance, or drama is designed to evoke in its audience. Example: “The choreographer built the entire piece around the rasa of longing.”
How to use rasa
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA term from Indian art and drama theory for the core emotional "flavor" of a piece.
You may recognize this word from the phrase "tabula rasa," but that's unrelated Latin (rasa there means "scraped clean") — this rasa is Sanskrit and means "essence" or "flavor."
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rasas plural
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Can you complete this real example?
The choreographer built the entire piece around the _____ of longing.
Etymology
A direct borrowing of Sanskrit rasa, literally "juice" or "essence" — the sense extended from a plant's extractable essence to the emotional "essence" a performance leaves with its audience.
Rhymes for rasa
See all rhymes for rasa →Frequently asked questions
What does “rasa” mean?
The word “rasa” means in Indian aesthetics, the dominant emotional flavor or mood that a work of art, dance, or drama is designed to evoke in its audience. In plain terms, a term from Indian art and drama theory for the core emotional "flavor" of a piece.
How do you use “rasa” in a sentence?
Here is “rasa” used in a sentence: “The choreographer built the entire piece around the rasa of longing.”
What part of speech is “rasa”?
“Rasa” is a noun.
Where does the word “rasa” come from?
The word “rasa” comes from Sanskrit. A direct borrowing of Sanskrit rasa, literally "juice" or "essence" — the sense extended from a plant's extractable essence to the emotional "essence" a performance leaves with its audience.
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