piece of meat; lump of meat
Refers to a chunk or cut of meat, often with a somewhat raw or physical connotation. Rare in modern conversation; more common in literary or historical contexts.
the body; the flesh
Used poetically or in older texts to refer to the physical body or flesh, often with a sense of corporeality. Not used in everyday speech.
In old tales, there are scenes where they roast a lump of meat over a fire.
The poet wrote about the soul leaving the flesh.
Common word for 'physical body'. 肉叢 is much rarer and carries a raw, unrefined nuance.
Literary kanji spelling; rarely used in modern Japanese. The second kanji 叢 is uncommon.
Kana spelling is practical for this rare word, as the kanji are difficult and uncommon.
Obscure single-kanji form; not in common use. Included for reference.
Compound of 肉 (しし, archaic reading for 'meat' or 'flesh') and 叢 (むら, 'cluster' or 'lump'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is now rare and largely replaced by 肉 (にく) or 肉体 (にくたい).