禽
bird, captive, capture
Readings
On'yomi
- キン
Kun'yomi
- とり
- とりこ
Meaning
禽 centers on a bird that is caught or kept: a captive bird, or the act of capturing. The bird sense is closely tied to the idea of being taken or held.
Most common words using 禽
20 of 21- 猛禽もうきん
raptor; bird of prey; predatory bird
- 家禽かきん
(domestic) fowl; poultry
- 亜鳴禽類あめいきんるい
suboscines (songbirds of suborder Tyranni)
- 家禽コレラかきんコレラ
fowl cholera
- 家禽ペストかきんペスト
fowl pest
- 家禽類かきんるい
domestic poultry
- 攀禽類はんきんるい
climbers (birds formerly grouped in order Scansores)
- 日本家禽学会にっぽんかきんがっかい
Japan Poultry Science Association; JPSA
- 水禽すいきん
waterfowl; aquatic bird
- 渉禽類しょうきんるい
wading birds
- 猛禽類もうきんるい
birds of prey (of order Falconiformes or Strigiformes); raptors
- 禽獣きんじゅう
birds and beasts; beast; brute; (dumb) animal
- 禽竜きんりゅう
iguanodon
- 禽舎きんしゃ
poultry shed
- 禽類きんるい
birds
- 禽鳥きんちょう
birds
- 良禽は木を択んで棲むりょうきんはきをえらんですむ
a wise retainer chooses a great lord to serve; a wise bird chooses a good tree in which to roost
- 走禽類そうきんるい
cursorial birds; runners
- 野禽やきん
wild birds
- 鳴禽めいきん
songbird; oscine
Study
Etymology
禽 is a pictograph of a net or trap for catching birds, later extended to mean the captured bird itself. The modern form retains a net-like top over a bird-like lower shape.
Meaning mnemonic
The top looks like a net or trap, and the bottom resembles a bird. Picture a bird caught under a net: 禽 is a captive bird or the act of capturing.
Reading mnemonic
For キン, imagine a keen-eyed bird trapped under the net: keen -> キン, and the bird is captured.