also: ぼ
noun
fifth Celestial Stem; 5th in the sexagenary cycle
Used in the traditional Chinese calendar and sexagenary cycle. Often appears in historical dates, fortune-telling, and classical contexts. The reading つちのえ is the native Japanese name; ぼ is the Sino-Japanese reading used in compounds.
戊は十干の五番目にあたる。
戊 is the fifth of the ten Celestial Stems.
戊辰戦争は1868年に始まった。
The Boshin War began in 1868.
The character 戊 originally depicted a halberd-like weapon and was borrowed phonetically for the fifth Celestial Stem. The Japanese reading つちのえ is of native origin, while ぼ is the Sino-Japanese reading.