volcanic crater
Refers to the crater of a volcano, often used in place names or descriptive contexts.
Smoke is rising from the volcanic crater.
Colloquial and somewhat childish or euphemistic term for buttocks, often used in a lighthearted or humorous way.
I'll wipe the baby's bottom.
effeminate gay man; male transvestite; transgender woman; gay male prostitute
Usually written in katakana as オカマ. Often derogatory and sensitive; can refer to a range of identities from effeminate gay men to preoperative transgender women. Use with caution.
Rice cooked in this pot tastes great.
Cook rice in a pot.
He works at a gay/trans bar.
ニューハーフ is a less derogatory, more entertainment-industry term for a transgender woman, while お釜 (as オカマ) can carry a mocking or insensitive tone.
Cooking pots (おかま) can be counted with 個 depending on their shape, since there's no dedicated counter fixed specifically for them.
bowler hat; felt hat
Standard polite kanji spelling for the pot and crater senses.
Katakana spelling is usual for the colloquial sense referring to effeminate gay men or transgender women.
Kana spelling is common for all senses, especially the colloquial ones.
Polite spelling using the honorific 御; less common than お釜.
Rarely used kanji form; 竈 means 'hearth' or 'kitchen range' and is not standard for this word.
Polite prefix お (o-) + 釜 (kama, 'pot'). The colloquial senses likely derive from the shape of a pot, with the buttocks sense being a euphemistic comparison, and the LGBT-related sense possibly originating from prison slang or from the idea of a 'pot' as a receptacle.