spider; spider silk
Archaic word for 'spider' or 'spider silk'. In modern Japanese, 蜘蛛 (くも) is used for the animal and 蜘蛛の糸 for the silk. This term appears mainly in classical literature or poetry.
In old waka poems, 細蟹 is used to mean 'spider'.
The expression ささがにの糸 (spider's thread) appears in classical texts.
Archaic kanji spelling for 'spider'. Rarely used in modern Japanese.
Alternate archaic kanji spelling for 'spider'.
The exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 細蟹 literally mean 'thin crab', possibly a poetic or euphemistic name for a spider in old Japanese.