noun
hand-operated fire pump
Historical firefighting tool; a manually operated pump used to spray water onto fires. Now largely obsolete, replaced by modern fire engines.
江戸時代の火消しは竜吐水を使って消火活動を行った。
Edo-period firefighters used hand-operated fire pumps to fight fires.
noun
water pistol; squirt gun; water gun
Toy that shoots water; synonymous with 水鉄砲 (みずでっぽう). This term is less common in modern usage and may be considered old-fashioned or literary.
See also: 水鉄砲
子供たちは夏祭りで竜吐水を買ってもらった。
The children were bought water pistols at the summer festival.
Common modern word for water pistol; 竜吐水 is a rare, historical synonym.
Compound of 竜 (dragon) + 吐 (spit out) + 水 (water), literally 'dragon spitting water'. The exact origin is uncertain, but the term likely arose from the visual resemblance of the water stream to a dragon's breath.