noun
the Dog (11th Chinese zodiac sign)
Refers to the zodiac animal itself, used in contexts like 戌年 (Year of the Dog) or describing someone's birth sign.
来年は戌年です。
Next year is the Year of the Dog.
noun
hour of the Dog (around 8 PM)
Obsolete temporal unit from the traditional Chinese time system; corresponds roughly to 7–9 PM or 8–10 PM. Mainly encountered in historical contexts or the compound 戌の刻.
See also: 戌の刻
In the Edo period, they closed the gates at the hour of the Dog.
noun
west-northwest (obsolete direction)
Obsolete directional term from the Chinese zodiac compass points; not used in modern navigation.
古い地図では、戌の方角が示されていることがある。
Old maps sometimes indicate the west-northwest direction with the character 戌.
noun
ninth month of the lunar calendar (obsolete)
Obsolete lunar calendar month designation; corresponds roughly to October in the modern calendar. Rarely encountered outside historical texts.
旧暦の戌の月は、今の十月ごろにあたる。
The ninth month of the old lunar calendar corresponds to around October now.