切きり子こ

き

り

こ

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

facet; faceted object

Refers to a cut surface or an object with cut facets, especially in glasswork. Often used in compound terms like 切り子ガラス (cut glass) or 江戸切子 (Edo-style cut glass).

江え戸ど切きり子このグラスは、細こまかい切きり子こが美うつくしい。
Edo-style cut glass has beautiful fine facets.
この花か瓶びんは切きり子この模も様ようが入はいっている。
This vase has a faceted pattern.

See all 7 example sentences ›

Kanji

切cut, cutoff, be sharp
子child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM
籠basket, devote oneself, seclude oneself

Related words

カットグラス
カットグラス is a loanword for cut glass in general, while 切り子 specifically refers to the traditional Japanese faceting technique and objects.

Word family

小こ切きり子こ
clave-like folk instrument; two bamboo pieces beaten together
江え戸ど切きり子こ
Edo faceted glass; Edo cut glass

Built from

切きる+子こ

Written forms

切きり子こUsage10%
Standard kanji spelling for faceted objects, especially cut glass.
切きり子こUsage85%
Variant spelling without okurigana; seen in traditional craft names like 江戸切子.
切きり籠こUsage4%
Rare variant of 切り籠; not standard for faceted objects.
切きり籠こUsage1%
Rare kanji form using 籠; not standard for faceted objects.

Etymology

Compound of 切り (kiri, 'cutting') + 子 (ko, diminutive suffix), literally 'little cut thing'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has long been associated with faceted glassware.