noun
sacred rope; shimenawa
Abbreviation of 注連縄. A rope used in Shinto to mark sacred areas or as a talisman against evil.
See also: 注連縄
神社の入り口に注連が張ってある。
A sacred rope is hung at the entrance of the shrine.
noun
cordoning off; marking a boundary
Archaic noun referring to the act of cordoning off an area or the sign used for that purpose.
古文書には、神域の注連についての記述がある。
In ancient documents, there are descriptions of cordoning off sacred areas.
The full, more common term for the sacred rope. 注連 is an abbreviation.
The kanji 注連 are ateji for the native Japanese word しめ, whose origin is uncertain. The spelling 七五三 is also ateji.