also: ゆみがた · きゅうけい
noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
Describes something curved like a bow; often used with ～になる or ～に曲がる. Common in everyday descriptions of shapes.
道が弓なりに曲がっている。
The road curves in a bow shape.
彼女の眉は弓なりだ。
Her eyebrows are arched like a bow.
noun
segment of a circle
Only with reading ゆみがた / きゅうけい
Mathematical term for the region bounded by a chord and the corresponding arc. Restricted to the readings ゆみがた and きゅうけい.
弓形の面積を求める公式を覚えた。
I memorized the formula for the area of a circular segment.
Also read ゆみがた or きゅうけい; when intended as ゆみなり, this spelling is acceptable but may be ambiguous.
Common reading for the mathematical 'segment of a circle' sense.
Sino-Japanese reading, mainly used in technical or mathematical contexts.
Compound of 弓 (yumi, 'bow') and なり (nari, 'shape' or 'form'). The reading ゆみがた uses 形 (kata/gata, 'shape'), and きゅうけい is the Sino-Japanese reading of 弓形.