芒
pampas grass, beard (grain)
Readings
On'yomi
- ボウ
- コウ
- モウ
Kun'yomi
- すすき
- のぎ
- のげ
Meaning
芒 centers on the slender, bristly awns of grasses and grains: the beard-like tip of a grain husk, or by extension the pampas grass plant itself, known for its feathery plumes.
Most common words using 芒
- 芒のぎ
arista; awn; (grain) beard
- 光芒こうぼう
beam of light
- 七芒星しちぼうせい
heptagram; septagram
- 五芒ごぼう
pentagram
- 五芒星ごぼうせい
pentagram (as used in divination, etc.)
- 六芒星ろくぼうせい
hexagram
- 石灰芒硝せっかいぼうしょう
glauberite
- 芒硝ぼうしょう
sal mirabilis; mirabilite; sodium sulfate decahydrate; sodium sulphate decahydrate
- 芒硝泉ぼうしょうせん
hot spring rich in sodium sulfate; sodium sulfate spring
- 芒種ぼうしゅ
"grain in ear" solar term (approx. June 6, when awns begin to grow on grains)
- 芒蘭のぎらん
Metanarthecium luteoviride (species of flowering plant)
Study
Etymology
芒 combines 艹 (grass) with 亡, which likely contributes a phonetic element. The character originally referred to the awn or beard of grain, a slender bristle-like extension.
Meaning mnemonic
The grass radical 艹 sits above 亡, like the feathery plumes of pampas grass or the fine beard on a grain husk. Picture a field of grass where every tip ends in a wispy, beard-like bristle.
Reading mnemonic
For ボウ, imagine a bow made of pampas grass plumes, tied with a beard-like string: bow -> ボウ, and the grass bends like a bow in the wind.