蒡
burdock
Readings
On'yomi
- ボウ
- ホウ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
蒡 refers specifically to burdock, a plant with large leaves and edible roots. The meaning is narrow and botanical, without broader abstract extensions.
Most common words using 蒡
- 牛蒡ごぼう
great burdock (Arctium lappa); gobo
- たたき牛蒡たたきごぼう
simmered burdock root seasoned with sesame and vinegar
- 洋種山牛蒡ようしゅやまごぼう
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)
- 牛蒡積みごぼうづみ
stone wall construction technique, with smallest stone surfaces facing outwards; burdock piling
- 牛蒡薊ごぼうあざみ
Cirsium dipsacolepis (perennial plant of the thistle family)
- 菊牛蒡きくごぼう
scorzonera (Scorzonera hispanica); Spanish salsify; viper's grass
- 金平牛蒡きんぴらごぼう
kinpira gobō; braised burdock root; chopped burdock root (and sometimes carrot) cooked in sugar and soy sauce
Study
Etymology
蒡 combines the grass radical 艹 with 旁, which likely contributes a phonetic element. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the structure points to a plant name.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 艹 shows it's a plant, and the bottom 旁 suggests something broad or side-like. Picture a broad-leaved plant growing at the side of the road: that's burdock.
Reading mnemonic
For ボウ, imagine a bow made from a burdock stalk: bow -> ボウ, and the plant's tough stem is bent into a bow.