corpse for sword testing
Historical term for a dead body used to test the sharpness of a blade. Rare and archaic outside of historical contexts.
unlicensed prostitute in a fixed brothel
Historical term for an unlicensed prostitute who always worked out of the same establishment. Rare and archaic.
A small ornament is placed on the shelf.
In the Edo period, corpses were used to test the sharpness of swords.
Unlicensed prostitutes working outside the licensed quarters were targeted by the shogunate's crackdowns.
Compound of 据え (sue, continuative form of 据える 'to place, set') + 物 (mono, 'thing'). Literally 'a thing that is placed'. The historical senses likely developed from the idea of something set in a fixed position.