wormwood; absinthe
Refers to the plant Artemisia absinthium, known for its bitter taste and use in absinthe. The word is usually written in katakana as ニガヨモギ.
Wormwood is a type of herb with a strong bitterness.
Absinthe is a liquor made from wormwood.
Katakana spelling is common for this plant name; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling is also used, especially in informal or explanatory contexts.
Kanji spelling is rare and may not be widely recognized; 艾 is not a jōyō kanji.
Compound of 苦 (にが, 'bitter') + ヨモギ (mugwort). The reading くがい is the on'yomi of the kanji 苦艾, but it is rarely used.