kata

noun

1. Any of a sequence of positions and movements used in many martial arts.

   “judo kata”

   “About fifty kata, or "formal exercises," are practiced at the present time, some having been passed down from generation to generation, others having been developed fairly recently.”

   “Katas are a series of motions, such as punches, strikes, and kicks, arranged in a specific pattern. The pattern allows the motions to flow into one another. A student must learn a new kata to advance to each new belt level.”

   “When the competitor's name is called, she stands on the designated line, bows to the panel of judges, and announces the name of the kata she will perform.[…]She then performs the kata. When she is finished, her opponent performs her kata. At the end of the second kata, both return to the mat area to await the decision of the judging panel.”

2. (broadly)A short programming exercise to improve one's skills through practice and repetition.

   “These kata will give you the C# syntax for inheritance.”

3. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis)Ellipsis of kata thermometer.
4. (in-compounds)A drop (in temperature).

   “kata factor”

5. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative form of gata (“type of Armenian pastry”).

adv

1. In a direction analogous to down, but along the additional axis added by the fourth dimension.

   “Your right half would move ana, let us say, and your left half would move kata. The two halves would, in their parallel spaces, move past the plane of rotation, and then they would swing back into our space.”

   “Added to the conventional FPS control keys are two extra keys that move the player in ana and kata direction in 4d space. If you go in this extra direction the space around you changes, the room transforms.”