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Words Kanji Guides About

よう Japanese meaning | Kotomora

よう

よ

う

Meanings

1

noun

usually written using kana alone

Medical term for a cluster of boils; a deep skin infection. Rare in everyday conversation; usually encountered in medical contexts.

医い者しゃにようと診しん断だんされた。
I was diagnosed with a carbuncle by the doctor.

Kanji

癰boil, carbuncle

Similar words

おでき
おでき is a common, everyday word for a boil or pimple, while よう is a more severe, medical term for a carbuncle.
せつ
せつ (furuncle) is a single boil, whereas よう is a cluster of boils forming a larger infected area.

Etymology

The word よう is a Sino-Japanese reading of the kanji 癰, which historically refers to a carbuncle or deep abscess. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it has been used in medical contexts for centuries.