also: にょぞく
noun
female bandit; female robber
Historical term for a woman who engages in banditry or robbery. Not used in modern everyday language.
その時代の物語には、女賊がよく登場する。
Female bandits often appear in stories from that era.
noun
woman who distracts men from truth
Only with reading にょぞく
Buddhist derogatory term for a woman seen as a temptress leading men away from spiritual pursuit. Restricted to the reading にょぞく.
仏教の古い経典では、女賊は修行の妨げとされることがある。
In old Buddhist scriptures, a 女賊 (にょぞく) is sometimes regarded as an obstacle to spiritual practice.
Compound of 女 (woman) and 賊 (bandit, thief). The Buddhist sense is a specialized metaphorical extension.