one of the two systems of syllabic writing employed for the representation of Japanese, based on Chinese ideograms. It is used mainly for foreign or foreign-derived words
Word origin
Japanese, from kata side + kana
katakana in American English
(ˌkɑtəˈkɑnə)
noun
the portion of the Japanese kana, or syllabary, whose characters are angular in form: it is used esp. for foreign words