耄
senility
Strokes10
Readings
On'yomi
- ボウ
- モウ
Kun'yomi
- おいぼ.れる
Meaning
耄 centers on the mental decline of extreme old age: senility, becoming forgetful and confused.
Most common words using 耄
Study
Etymology
耄 combines 老 (old) and 毛 (hair), likely suggesting the thinning or whitening hair of extreme old age, which is associated with senility.
Meaning mnemonic
An old person (老) with thinning hair (毛) is a vivid image of senility and mental decline.
Reading mnemonic
For ボウ, imagine an old person with a bow in their hair, but they've forgotten why it's there: bow -> ボウ, and the senile old person just looks confused.