Informal term for a close friend, often used among men. Slightly old-fashioned; 親友 or 仲間 are more common today.
Refers to a short-bladed weapon, often a stiletto or dagger. The kanji 合口 literally means 'matching mouth', referring to the hilt fitting snugly into the scabbard. See also 匕首.
See also: 匕首
unbalanced head-to-head record (sumo)
Sumo term for a win-loss record between two wrestlers that is heavily lopsided, e.g., one wrestler has many more wins than the other in their match history.
He's been a close friend of mine since childhood.
The samurai concealed a dagger in his breast pocket.
These two have an unbalanced record, with the yokozuna dominating at ten wins to one loss.
Standard modern word for 'close friend'; 合口 in the 'chum' sense is more casual and old-fashioned.
Standard kanji spelling for all senses.
Rare variant using 相; may be encountered in older texts.
Variant spelling with okurigana; less common but still seen.
The dagger sense is 合口, named for the guardless hilt fitting closely against the scabbard mouth. The compatibility, friendship, and sumo senses are associated with 相口, expressing how well two parties match.