とぐろ

と

ぐ

ろ

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

coil; coiled shape

usually written using kana alone

Refers to something coiled up, especially a snake or a rope. Often used in the phrase とぐろを巻く (to coil up).

渦うず巻まき
渦巻き refers to a spiral or whirlpool shape, often dynamic or fluid, while とぐろ specifically describes a static, layered coil like a snake or rope.

とぐろUsage87%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 塒 and 蜷局 are rare and mainly encountered in literary or specialized contexts.
トグロUsage9%
塒とぐろUsage4%
Rare kanji form; the character 塒 originally means 'roost' or 'perch' and is used here for the coiled shape.
蜷局とぐろ
Rare kanji form; 蜷 means 'to coil' and 局 is used phonetically, making this an ateji-like spelling.

The origin is uncertain. It may be related to the verb とぐる (to coil), but the exact derivation is unclear.