noun
precious stone; jade
Primarily refers to jade, but can denote any precious stone. Formerly also read as ごく.
この指輪には高価な玉がはめ込まれている。
This ring is set with an expensive precious stone.
noun
Used in sushi contexts for the sweet layered omelet topping. Occasionally written in katakana as ギョク.
寿司屋で玉を注文した。
I ordered egg sushi at the sushi restaurant.
noun
traded security; position
Financial term for a stock, security, or product being traded. Sense 4 specifically refers to an open position (amount owned or owed).
今日は玉が動きにくい相場だった。
It was a market where securities were hard to move today.
建玉を整理する必要がある。
I need to close out my open positions.
noun
geisha; geisha time charge
Rare abbreviation. Sense 5 refers to a geisha herself; sense 6 is an abbreviation of 玉代, the time-based fee for a geisha's service.
昔は玉を呼んで宴会を開いたものだ。
In the old days, they used to hold banquets by calling geisha.
玉代は時間制で計算される。
The geisha fee is calculated on an hourly basis.
noun
Abbreviation of 玉将, the king piece in shogi, specifically for the junior (challenger) player.
See also: 玉将
玉を守るために金を動かした。
I moved the gold general to protect the king.
宝石 is the general term for gemstones, while 玉 (ぎょく) often specifically implies jade or a precious stone in a more classical or specialized context.
卵 is the standard word for egg in all contexts; 玉 (ぎょく) is a specialized sushi term for the sweet omelet topping.
株 is the common term for stock or share; 玉 (ぎょく) is a more technical financial term for a traded security or position.
芸者 is the standard word for geisha; 玉 (ぎょく) is a rare, abbreviated term used in specific contexts like the entertainment industry.
王将 is the king piece for the senior player in shogi; 玉 (ぎょく) is the king for the junior player, abbreviated from 玉将.
The kanji 玉 originally means 'jewel' or 'precious stone'. The reading ぎょく is the on'yomi. The extended meanings (egg, financial position, geisha, shogi king) are derived from metaphorical or abbreviated uses within specific domains.