かがり火び

noun

bonfire; campfire; watch fire

A fire built in a metal basket or brazier, traditionally used for fishing at night, as a watch fire, or for illumination. In modern contexts, it can refer to a bonfire or campfire, but the image is often of a contained fire in a basket.

See also: かがり

• 川かわ辺べでかがり火びを焚たいて、夜よ釣づりを楽たのしんだ。

  We lit a bonfire by the river and enjoyed night fishing.

• 祭まつりの夜よる、境けい内だいにかがり火びが焚たかれていた。

  On the night of the festival, bonfires were lit in the shrine grounds.

noun

brothel-keeper (Edo period)

Archaic slang from the Edo period, referring to a brothel-keeper. Not used in modern Japanese.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だい、かがり火びは遊ゆう郭かくの主しゅ人じんを指さす隠いん語ごだった。

  In the Edo period, かがり火 was a slang term for a brothel-keeper.