noun
thousands of lives; countless dead
Literary or solemn term for the many who have died, often in war or over a long history. Frequently appears in the set phrase 一将功成りて万骨枯る (one general's glory is built on the bones of thousands).
一将功成りて万骨枯るという言葉がある。
There is a saying: 'While one general wins his fame, thousands of bones lie bleaching.'
この地には万骨が眠っている。
Countless dead lie buried in this land.
Compound of 万 (ten thousand, myriad) and 骨 (bones). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it is strongly associated with classical Chinese poetry and the idiom 一将功成りて万骨枯る.