noun
bamboo garden; the imperial family
Literary term. Literally 'bamboo garden', but used as a poetic or elegant reference to the imperial family, especially in classical contexts.
竹の園生は、古くから皇室を指す雅語として使われてきた。
Také-no-sonou has long been used as an elegant term for the imperial family.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning 'bamboo garden' and by extension the imperial family.