蛸
octopus
Readings
On'yomi
- ソウ
- ショウ
Kun'yomi
- たこ
Meaning
蛸 centers on the octopus, a sea creature known for its eight arms and soft body.
Most common words using 蛸
20 of 22- 蛸たこN1
octopus
- 真蛸まだこ
common octopus (Octopus vulgaris)
- 寒天蛸かんてんだこ
seven-arm octopus (Haliphron atlanticus)
- 手長蛸てながだこ
long-armed octopus (Octopus minor)
- 水蛸みずだこ
giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini); North Pacific giant octopus
- 腕長隠れ蛸うでながかくれだこ
algae octopus (Abdopus aculeatus)
- 船蛸ふねだこ
winged argonaut (species of paper nautilus, Argonauta hians)
- 蛸の枕たこのまくら
Japanese sea biscuit (Clypeaster japonicus)
- 蛸の足たこのあし
Penthorum chinense (species of saxifrage)
- 蛸入道たこにゅうどう
octopus; man with a bald or shaven head
- 蛸坊主たこぼうず
man with a bald or shaven head
- 蛸壺たこつぼ
octopus pot
- 蛸引きたこひき
long, thin-bladed knife used for sashimi preparation
- 蛸水母たこくらげ
spotted jelly (Mastigias papua); lagoon jelly; golden medusa; Papuan jellyfish
- 蛸烏賊たこいか
boreopacific armhook squid (Gonatopsis borealis)
- 蛸船たこぶね
eggcase (shell) of the winged argonaut
- 蛸足たこあし
many-legged; octopus-like
- 蛸配当たこはいとう
bogus dividend
- 貝蛸かいだこ
greater argonaut (species of paper nautilus, Argonauta argo)
- 面蛸めんだこ
flapjack octopus (Opisthoteuthis depressa); pancake devilfish
Study
Etymology
蛸 combines the insect radical 虫 with 肖, which likely contributes the sound. The character is used specifically for octopus, though the historical reason for the insect radical is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The insect radical 虫 suggests a small creature, and the right side 肖 looks a bit like a rounded body with dangling arms. Picture an octopus clinging to a rock with its eight limbs.
Reading mnemonic
For ソウ, imagine an octopus sewing its arms together: sew -> ソウ, and the octopus becomes a tangled knot.