鼓こす

こ

す

Meanings

1

godan verb (-su)

beat a drum

Rare literary verb for beating a drum; modern Japanese normally uses 太鼓を打つ or 鼓する.

古ふるい軍ぐん記き物ものでは、陣じん太だい鼓こを鼓こす場ば面めんが描えがかれる。
In old war tales, scenes of beating a war drum are depicted.

2

godan verb (-su)

pluck up courage

Rare literary use; the expression 勇気を鼓す is occasionally found, but 勇気を奮い起こす is far more common.

彼かれは勇ゆう気きを鼓こして立たち向むかった。
He plucked up his courage and faced it.

Written forms

鼓こす
Literary kanji spelling; the verb is rare and mostly replaced by 鼓する or 太鼓を打つ in modern Japanese.
こすUsage100%
Kana spelling for clarity, as the kanji form is uncommon and may be unfamiliar.

Kanji

鼓drum, beat, rouse

Similar words

鼓こする
More common literary verb for beating a drum; 鼓す is a rarer variant.
太たい鼓こを打うつ
Standard modern expression for beating a drum; 鼓す is archaic/literary.
勇ゆう気きを奮ふるい起おこす
Common modern expression for plucking up courage; 勇気を鼓す is rare and literary.

Etymology

The verb 鼓す is a literary form derived from the noun 鼓 (つづみ, drum) with the verbal suffix す. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; it is now rare and mostly replaced by 鼓する or periphrastic expressions.