noun
fruit left on a tree over winter
Archaic agricultural term for fruit intentionally left on a tree during winter, believed to ensure a good harvest the following year. Rare in modern usage.
昔の農家では、翌年の豊作を願って木守りを残した。
In old farming households, they left fruit on the tree over winter to wish for a good harvest the next year.
Compound of 木 (ki, “tree”) and 守り (mamori, “protection, guardian”). The reading きまぶり is a rare variant. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.