Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Kanji 注 pour, irrigate, shed (tears) Related words 注連飾しめかざ り Refers specifically to the decorative New Year's shimenawa, often smaller and more ornate, while しめ縄 can be any sacred rope used year-round.
紙し 垂で The zigzag paper streamers often attached to shimenawa; not the rope itself.
Written forms しめ 縄なわ Usage 49%
Most common spelling; the first part is written in kana.
注連縄しめなわ Usage 33%
Traditional kanji spelling, still seen in formal or Shinto contexts.
〆縄しめなわ Usage 9%
search-only kanji form
Search-only form using the 〆 symbol.
しめなわ Usage 9%
七五三縄しめなわ Usage 1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; the characters 七五三 (7-5-3) are ateji.
標縄しめなわ
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
Etymology The word is a compound of しめ (from 締める , 'to tighten' or 'to bind') and 縄 (なわ , 'rope'). The exact origin of the sacred use is uncertain, but it is deeply rooted in Shinto tradition.
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