Chinese soft-shelled turtle; soft-shelled turtle
Refers to the animal, especially Pelodiscus sinensis, commonly eaten in Japan. Often used in the dish すっぽん鍋.
trap door on kabuki walkway
Only with reading すっぽん
Specialized kabuki term; a trap door located on the hanamichi (walkway) used for dramatic entrances and exits.
bilge pump (traditional Japanese ship)
Only with reading すっぽん
Historical nautical term; a type of pump used on traditional Japanese vessels to remove bilge water.
Soft-shelled turtles are known as a high-class ingredient.
When winter comes, I crave soft-shelled turtle hot pot.
In kabuki, actors rise up through the trap door on the walkway.
On traditional Japanese ships, they used a bilge pump to bail water from the bottom.
common stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus)
The word is usually written in kana; the kanji 鼈 is rare and not commonly used.
Katakana spelling sometimes used for emphasis or in menus.
Rare kanji form; not in common use.
The origin is uncertain. The reading すっぽん may be mimetic or derived from the sound of the turtle diving into water. The kanji 鼈 is a Chinese character for soft-shelled turtle.