also: りゅうしゃ
quicksand
Refers to quicksand, a mixture of sand and water that can trap objects or people. Used in both literal and figurative contexts.
My foot got caught in quicksand and I couldn't move.
There is a lot of quicksand in this area, so caution is needed.
泥沼 is a 'muddy swamp' or 'bog', often used figuratively for a difficult situation, while 流砂 specifically refers to quicksand.
Standard kanji spelling; the most common form in modern usage.
Variant kanji spelling using 沙 instead of 砂; less common but still encountered.
Alternate reading; rarely used and may be considered non-standard or archaic.
Composed of 流 (flow) and 砂 (sand), literally 'flowing sand'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term directly describes the phenomenon of sand that behaves like a fluid.