Koan Definition
kōän
koans
noun
In Zen Buddhism, a verbal puzzle put to a student as a means to enlightenment.
Webster's New World
A riddle with no solution, used to provoke reflection on the inadequacy of logical reasoning, and to lead to enlightenment.
Wiktionary
Origin of Koan
Japanese kōan kō public (from Middle Chinese kəwŋ) (also the source of Mandarin gōng) an matter (from Middle Chinese ʔan`) (also the source of Mandarin àn)
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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From Japanese 公案 (こうあん), which was from Literary Chinese 公案 (“official business”).
From Wiktionary
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