also: すいきん
noun
liquid gold; gold paint
A gold-containing liquid used for decorating ceramics and other crafts; a technical term in traditional arts.
陶芸家は茶碗に水金で模様を描いた。
The potter drew a pattern on the tea bowl with liquid gold.
noun
Wednesday and Friday
Only with reading すいきん
Abbreviation used in schedules, often alongside other day abbreviations like 月 (Monday). The reading すいきん is standard for this sense.
See also: 月水金 (げっすいきん)
会議は月水金の午前中に行われる。
Meetings are held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.
noun
Slang term for a bribe or illicit payment, often implying money used to smooth things over. The reading is typically みずきん.
役人に水金を渡して許可をもらったらしい。
Apparently they got the permit by slipping a bribe to the official.
Explicitly lists Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; 水金 is a shorter abbreviation for just Wednesday and Friday.
The liquid gold sense is a compound of 水 (water) and 金 (gold), referring to a gold suspension. The day abbreviation is a contraction of 水曜日 (Wednesday) and 金曜日 (Friday). The bribe sense is slang, likely derived from the idea of 'gold' as money.