noun
age 16 (of a girl); pubescence; puberty
Traditional term for a girl's 16th year, derived from the character 瓜 (melon) which can be split into two 八 (eight) characters, suggesting 8+8=16. Now largely literary or historical.
彼女は破瓜の年に達した。
She reached the age of 16.
noun
age 64 (of a man)
Traditional term for a man's 64th year, using the same character-splitting logic (八十八 = 64). Rare and mostly found in classical or literary contexts.
祖父は破瓜の祝いを受けた。
My grandfather celebrated his 64th birthday.
noun
defloration; breaking of the hymen
Medical or literary term for the rupture of the hymen, typically during first sexual intercourse. The kanji 破 (break) and 瓜 (melon) metaphorically suggest the breaking of a fruit.
破瓜は初めての性交時に起こることが多い。
Defloration often occurs during first sexual intercourse.
From the kanji 破 (break) and 瓜 (melon). The age-related senses derive from splitting the character 瓜 into two 八 (eight) characters, yielding 8+8=16 for a girl and 8×8=64 for a man. The defloration sense metaphorically likens the hymen to a melon being broken.