靫草

Japanese

Kanji in this term
うつぼ
Hyōgai
くさ > ぐさ
Grade: 1
kun'yomi

Etymology

Literally, quiver grass, (うつぼ) (utsubo, quiver) + (くさ) (kusa, grass, plant). The kusa changes to gusa as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

Noun

(うつぼ)(ぐさ) or 靫草(ウツボグサ) • (utsubogusa

  1. common self-heal, Prunella vulgaris subsp. asiatica
    Synonyms: 夏枯草 (kakosō), 死人の枕 (shibito no makura)

Usage notes

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary).