also: うすつく
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
pound grain in a mortar
Archaic verb for pounding rice or other grains in a mortar (usu) with a pestle. Not used in modern everyday speech; encountered in historical or traditional contexts.
昔は米を臼搗いた。
In the old days, people pounded rice in a mortar.
Standard kanji spelling for the reading うすづく.
Alternate reading うすつく; restricted to the kanji forms 臼搗く and 舂く.
Kana-mixed spelling; the 搗 kanji is uncommon and may be replaced with kana.
Alternate kanji for pounding grain; very rare in modern use.
Alternate reading うすつく; restricted to the kanji forms 臼搗く and 舂く.
Compound of 臼 (usu, 'mortar') + 搗く (tsuku, 'to pound'). The reading うすづく is a rendaku form of うすつく.