noun
A less common word for corn; とうもろこし is the standard term. タマキビ may be encountered in older texts, regional usage, or poetic contexts.
See also: とうもろこし
祖母はトウモロコシのことをタマキビと呼んでいた。
My grandmother used to call corn 'tamakibi'.
noun
periwinkle (a type of sea snail)
Refers to a small marine snail, Littorina brevicula, commonly found on rocky shores in Japan. Often written in katakana as タマキビ.
磯でタマキビをたくさん見つけた。
I found many periwinkles on the rocky shore.
The standard, everyday word for corn. タマキビ is a rare synonym.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 玉黍 (jewel millet) is a descriptive compound, but the word itself may be an old Japanese term for corn, later applied to the periwinkle due to some perceived resemblance.