noun
shaku of water; 18 ml of water
Historical or literary term for a small measure of water, literally one shaku (勺, about 18 ml). Rare in modern usage.
昔の文献に「勺水を以て車輪を止むる能はず」とある。
An old text says, 'One cannot stop a cartwheel with a shaku of water.'
noun
droplet of water; very small amount of water
Figurative extension: any tiny quantity of water, like a few drops. Also rare and mostly found in classical or poetic contexts.
勺水ほどの恵みも無駄にはできない。
Even a blessing as small as a droplet of water cannot be wasted.
一滴 is the common word for 'a drop' of liquid; 勺水 is a rare, old-fashioned term for a tiny amount of water, often with a historical or literary flavor.
Compound of 勺 (shaku, a traditional unit of volume, about 18 ml) and 水 (sui, water). The variant 杓水 uses 杓 (shaku, ladle), likely by association with a ladle's small capacity. Both are rare and largely confined to classical or literary Japanese.