noun
frog-leg strut; curved wooden bracket
Architectural term for a curved wooden support placed above the main beam in traditional Japanese buildings. Originally structural, now often decorative. The shape resembles a frog with spread legs.
このお寺の蛙股には美しい彫刻が施されている。
The frog-leg struts in this temple are beautifully carved.
蛙股はもともと梁を支える実用的な部材だった。
Frog-leg struts were originally practical components that supported the beam.
From 蛙 (frog) + 股 (crotch, fork), referring to the shape of a frog with its legs spread open. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is a straightforward descriptive compound.