鴨
wild duck, easy mark
Readings
On'yomi
- オウ
Kun'yomi
- かも
- あひる
Meaning
鴨 centers on a wild duck, and by extension an easy mark or sitting duck—someone easily taken advantage of.
Most common words using 鴨
20 of 36- 鴨かも
duck
- 鴨居かもい
lintel (esp. one with grooves for sliding doors)
- 軽鴨かるがも
spot-billed duck (Anas poecilorhyncha)
- 真鴨まがも
mallard (Anas platyrhynchos); mallard duck
- 合鴨あいがも
cross between a mallard and domestic duck
- いい鴨いいかも
desirable prey; easy game; easy mark; easy prey; easy target
- 丘葦鴨おかよしがも
gadwall (Anas strepera)
- 嘴広鴨はしびろがも
northern shoveler (species of duck, Anas clypeata); northern shoveller
- 大舟鴨おおふながも
Fuegian steamer duck (Tachyeres pteneres); Magellanic flightless steamer duck
- 小鴨こがも
green-winged teal (species of duck, Anas crecca)
- 尾長鴨おなががも
northern pintail (Anas acuta)
- 巴鴨ともえがも
Baikal teal (species of dabbling duck, Anas formosa)
- 晨鴨しのりがも
harlequin duck (Clangula hyemalis or Histrionicus histrionicus)
- 栗色小鴨くりいろこがも
Auckland teal (Anas aucklandica); Auckland Islands teal
- 氷鴨こおりがも
long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis); old-squaw; hareld; old injun; oldwife
- 筑紫鴨つくしがも
common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
- 緋鳥鴨ひどりがも
Eurasian wigeon (Anas penelope)
- 羽白鴨はじろがも
any duck with white specula (bright patches on the wings)
- 舟鴨ふながも
Falkland steamer duck (Tachyeres brachypterus)
- 葦鴨よしがも
falcated teal (Mareca falcata); falcated duck
Study
Etymology
鴨 combines 甲 (which may represent a helmet or hard shell, possibly alluding to the duck's head or bill) with 鳥 (bird) to denote a duck. The exact historical origin of the 甲 component in this context is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 甲 looks like a helmet or a target, and the right side 鳥 is a bird. Picture a wild duck wearing a little helmet, making it an easy mark for hunters.
Reading mnemonic
For オウ, imagine a wild duck letting out a loud 'Oh!' as it realizes it's an easy mark: 'Oh!' -> オウ.