蚓
earthworm
Readings
On'yomi
- ズ
- イン
Kun'yomi
- みみず
Meaning
蚓 centers on the earthworm, a creature that moves through soil. The meaning is narrow and concrete, with no major abstract extensions.
Most common words using 蚓
- バルカン蚯蚓蜥蜴バルカンみみずとかげ
Iberian worm lizard (Blanus cinereus); European worm lizard
- 岩磯蚯蚓いわいそめ
Marphysa sanguinea (species of eunicid worm)
- 枷蚯蚓かせみみず
Epimenia verrucosa (mollusc)
- 磯蚯蚓いそめ
eunicid (any worm of family Eunicidae)
- 蚯蚓きゅういん
earthworm
- 蚯蚓蜥蜴みみずとかげ
worm lizard; amphisbaenian
- 蚯蚓鯊みみずはぜ
flat-headed goby (Luciogobius guttatus)
- 蚯蚓鳴くみみずなく
cry of earthworms (heard on autumn nights and rainy days)
Study
Etymology
蚓 combines the insect radical 虫 with 引, which likely contributes the sound and suggests the worm's pulling or stretching motion through the earth.
Meaning mnemonic
The insect radical 虫 on the left and 引 (pull) on the right suggest a worm that pulls itself through the dirt: an earthworm.
Reading mnemonic
For ズ, imagine a zoo where earthworms are the main attraction, wriggling and pulling through the soil: zoo -> ズ.