noun
tooth blackening; ohaguro
Historical custom in Japan, practiced mainly by married women and some aristocrats until the late 19th century.
江戸時代には、お歯黒は既婚女性の習慣だった。
In the Edo period, tooth blackening was a custom of married women.
noun
tooth-blackening dye; ohaguro solution
The dark dye itself, traditionally made from iron filings dissolved in vinegar and mixed with tannin from gallnut powder.
お歯黒は、鉄漿とも呼ばれる染料を使っていた。
Ohaguro used a dye also called 鉄漿.
From honorific prefix お (o-) + 歯 (ha, 'tooth') + 黒 (kuro, 'black'), with rendaku voicing of は to ば. The kanji 鉄漿 literally means 'iron paste', referring to the iron-based dye.