Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Get the Kotomora apps for iOS and Android.

Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides About Support Privacy

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

甘汞 (かんこう, kankou) Japanese meaning: calomel | Kotomora

甘かん汞こう

か

ん

こ

う

Meanings

1

calomel; mercury(I) chloride

Chemical term for mercury(I) chloride (Hg₂Cl₂), historically used in medicine and electrochemistry.

甘かん汞こうはかつて下げ剤ざいとして使つかわれた。
Calomel was once used as a laxative.

Kanji

甘sweet, coax, pamper
汞mercury

Related words

昇しょう汞こう
昇汞 (mercuric chloride, HgCl₂) is a different mercury compound with higher toxicity, while 甘汞 is the less toxic mercurous chloride.

Etymology

From the kanji 甘 (sweet) and 汞 (mercury), possibly calqued from the English 'calomel' (from Greek 'kalos' beautiful + 'melas' black) or directly from its sweetish taste and mercury content. The exact derivation is uncertain.

甘かん汞こう電でん極きょくは参さん照しょう電でん極きょくとして用もちいられる。

The calomel electrode is used as a reference electrode.