also: どひつ · ひっとうさい · つくづくし
noun
fertile shoot of field horsetail; horsetail sprout
Refers to the edible young spring shoot of the field horsetail (Equisetum arvense), often foraged as a wild vegetable. The plant is also known as 杉菜 (すぎな).
See also: 杉菜
春になると、土手に土筆がたくさん生える。
In spring, many horsetail shoots grow on the embankment.
祖母が土筆の佃煮を作ってくれた。
My grandmother made tsukudani from horsetail shoots for me.
noun
charred wooden stick for underdrawings; burnt-tip drawing stick
Only with reading どひつ
A traditional drawing tool: a wooden stick with a charred tip, used like charcoal for sketching underdrawings. Also called 焼き筆 (やきふで). Reading is どひつ.
See also: 焼き筆
日本画の下絵には、土筆が使われることがある。
In Japanese painting, a charred stick (dohitsu) is sometimes used for underdrawings.
Reading どひつ is used only for the drawing-stick sense.
Obsolete kana usage for the plant sense.
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially for the plant.
Alternate kanji spelling; also read ひっとうさい, but つくし is the common reading for this form.
Alternate reading for the plant sense; rarely used.
The kanji 土筆 literally mean 'earth brush,' likely from the appearance of the shoot. The reading つくし is a jukujikun (special kanji reading) whose origin is uncertain; it may be related to 尽くし (exhausting) or an old plant name. The reading どひつ is the on'yomi of the kanji.