thousands of lives; countless dead
Literary or solemn term for the many who have died, often in war or over a long history. Frequently appears in the set phrase 一将功成りて万骨枯る (one general's glory is built on the bones of thousands).
There is a saying: 'While one general wins his fame, thousands of bones lie bleaching.'
Countless dead lie buried in this land.
Standard kanji spelling; no common kana variant.
Literally “ten thousand bones,” 万骨 represents the countless soldiers who die in war. It is especially associated with the Chinese poetic line 一将功成万骨枯, “one general’s success is built upon ten thousand withered bones.”