Bo·dhi·dhar·ma (b??d?-där?m?, -dûr?-) fl. c. 6th century ad. Buddhist monk traditionally credited with establishing in China a school of Buddhism that eventually spread to Japan, where it became known as Zen.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.Bodhidharma (?b??d??d??m?; ?b?d-) n (Biography) 6th century ad, Indian Buddhist monk, who taught in China (from 520): considered to be the founder of Zen BuddhismCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014