small shovel; entrenching tool
Originally Imperial Japanese Army jargon for a compact shovel or entrenching tool; now used in general contexts for small shovels, especially folding or portable ones.
I take a small shovel for camping.
Imperial Japanese Army entrenching tools are still popular with collectors today.
Standard kanji spelling; the reading えんし is also possible but less common.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling that clarifies the reading えんぴ.
The term 円匙 combines 円 (round) and 匙 (spoon/scoop), likely describing the shape of the tool. It originated as military jargon in the Imperial Japanese Army.