also: こぐそ
silkworm droppings; silkworm excrement
Refers to the feces of silkworms, often used as fertilizer or in traditional medicine.
Silkworm droppings were used as fertilizer in the past.
Standard kanji spelling. The reading こくそ is the most common.
Alternate reading こぐそ, less common.
Compound of 蚕 (silkworm) and 糞 (droppings). The reading こくそ is the standard on'yomi combination; こぐそ is a variant with rendaku.