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こそぐ Japanese meaning | Kotomora

こそぐ

こ

そ

ぐ

Meanings

1

godan verb (-gu), transitive verb

scrape off; shave off

usually written using kana alone

Transitive godan verb meaning to remove a thin layer from a surface by scraping or shaving. Often used for removing dirt, paint, or thin coatings. Related to 刮げる (こそげる), which is more common.

See also: 刮げる

鍋なべの焦こげをこそぐ。
I scrape the burnt bits off the pot.

壁かべの古ふるいペンキをこそいで落おとした。

I scraped off the old paint from the wall.

Written forms

こそぐUsage93%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 刮ぐ is rare.
刮こそぐUsage7%
Rare kanji form; the kana spelling is strongly preferred.

Kanji

刮scrape off

Similar words

こそげる
こそげる is a more common ichidan verb with the same meaning; こそぐ is a less common godan variant.
削けずる
削る is a general verb for shaving, whittling, or cutting down; こそぐ specifically implies scraping off a thin layer.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. It may be related to the more common verb こそげる, but the exact derivation is unclear.