喰
eat, drink, receive (a blow), (kokuji)
Readings
On'yomi
—
Kun'yomi
- く.う
- く.らう
Nanori
- じき
Meaning
喰 centers on consuming something: eating food, drinking, or figuratively taking in an impact such as receiving a blow. It is a kokuji created in Japan to express eating and drinking more vividly.
Most common words using 喰
- 漆喰しっくい
mortar; plaster; stucco
- 仙台虫喰せんだいむしくい
eastern crowned warbler (Phylloscopus coronatus)
- 喰いタンくいタン
tanyao with open melds (not allowed in some rules); open tanyao
- 喰付くっつき
three pairs in a dealt hand (scoring combination)
- 女喰いおんなくい
womanizer; philanderer; playboy
- 山椒喰さんしょうくい
ashy minivet (species of passerine bird, Pericrocotus divaricatus)
- 心喰い虫しんくいむし
codling moth larva
- 根喰葉虫ねくいはむし
leaf beetle (of subfamily Donaciinae)
- 稲根喰葉虫いねねくいはむし
Donacia provostii (species of leaf beetle)
- 端喰はしばみ
cross-piece joining two or more boards (carpentry)
- 紫片喰むらさきかたばみ
pink woodsorrel (Oxalis corymbosa)
- 羽衣虫喰はごろもむしくい
American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)
- 芋片喰いもかたばみ
jointed woodsorrel (Oxalis articulata)
- 襤褸団扇船喰虫ぼろうちわふなくいむし
Uperotus clava (species of shipworm)
- 飯島虫喰いいじまむしくい
Ijima's leaf warbler (Phylloscopus ijimae); Izu leaf warbler, Ijima's willow warbler; Ijima's warbler
Study
Etymology
喰 is a Japanese kokuji formed by combining 口 (mouth) with 食 (eat), reinforcing the idea of eating or consuming by mouth.
Meaning mnemonic
A mouth 口 next to food 食: picture a wide-open mouth about to devour a meal. 喰 is eating and drinking with gusto.
Reading mnemonic
For く, imagine a cool drink being gulped down: cool -> く, and the mouth 口 takes in the food 食.