also: けいきょく
noun
wild rose; bramble
Refers to wild rose plants or thorny brambles. The reading ばら is the common modern form; the kanji 荊棘 is literary and rare.
道端にばらが咲いていた。
Wild roses were blooming by the roadside.
noun
briar patch
Only with reading けいきょく
Literary or figurative expression for a thicket of thorns, used with the reading けいきょく. Rare in modern Japanese.
古い物語では、荊棘の茂みに迷い込む場面がある。
In old tales, there are scenes where characters wander into a briar patch.
noun
Only with reading けいきょく
Idiomatic use with the reading けいきょく, meaning a source of trouble or a thorny problem. Rare and literary.
人生の荊棘を乗り越える。
Overcome the thorns of life.
Literary kanji spelling used with the on'yomi reading けいきょく for the figurative senses 'briar patch' and 'obstacle'.
Standard kana spelling for 'wild rose' or 'bramble'.
The kanji 荊 (thorny shrub) and 棘 (thorn) combine to mean 'thorny thicket'. The reading ばら is a gikun (special kanji reading) for 'wild rose', while けいきょく is the on'yomi reading used in literary and figurative senses.