茂
overgrown, grow thick, be luxuriant
Readings
On'yomi
- モ
Kun'yomi
- しげ.る
Nanori
- うむさ
- き
- し
- つとむ
- む
- もて
Meaning
茂 centers on abundant, thick growth: plants that are overgrown, lush, or luxuriant. The idea extends naturally to anything that flourishes densely.
Most common words using 茂
- 茂るしげるN2
to grow thickly; to be in full leaf; to be rampant; to luxuriate; to be luxurious
- 茂みしげみ
thicket; bush; coppice; brushwood
- 生い茂るおいしげる
to grow thickly; to be overgrown; to thrive; to grow in abundance
- 繁茂はんも
flourishing (of plants); thriving; luxuriant growth; growing lushly; rankness (of weeds)
- 茂りしげり
growing thick
- 茂林もりん
luxuriant (dense) forest
- 賀茂茄子かもなす
Kamo eggplant (Solanum melongena; round variety originally grown in Kyoto)
- 逆茂木さかもぎ
abatis
Study
Etymology
茂 combines 艹 (grass) with 戊, which likely contributes the sound and may have originally depicted a halberd or weapon. The compound suggests thick, flourishing vegetation.
Meaning mnemonic
Grass 艹 covers the ground so thickly that it looks like a dense, overgrown field. The lower part 戊 resembles a thicket of stalks, reinforcing the idea of lush growth.
Reading mnemonic
For モ, imagine a mower struggling to cut through the overgrown grass: mow -> モ, and the thick growth resists the blade.