also: まご
noun
Ma Gu; legendary Taoist immortal
A female immortal in Chinese mythology, often depicted with long fingernails. The name is used in Japanese contexts related to Taoist legends.
麻姑は中国の仙人で、長い爪を持つと伝えられている。
Ma Gu is a Chinese immortal who is said to have long fingernails.
noun
backscratcher
A backscratcher, named after the immortal Ma Gu's long fingernails. Often referred to as 孫の手 (まごのて) in modern Japanese, but 麻姑 can be used as a literary or abbreviated form.
See also: 孫の手
昔の人は麻姑で背中をかいていた。
People in the old days used a backscratcher to scratch their backs.
The common modern word for backscratcher. 麻姑 is a rarer, more literary term derived from the same legend.
From Chinese 麻姑 (Má Gū), a legendary Taoist immortal. The backscratcher sense comes from the association with her long fingernails.