also: ひょうかく · へいがく · ひょうがく
Formal or literary term for warfare or military conflict. Not used in everyday conversation.
weapons and armor; arms
Archaic original meaning; refers to military equipment. Now only encountered in historical or classical contexts.
In an age of war, the people suffered.
Ancient weapons and armor are displayed in the museum.
Standard kanji form; the reading へいかく is the most common modern reading.
Alternate reading; less common than へいかく.
Obsolete kana usage; not used in modern Japanese.
Obsolete kana usage; not used in modern Japanese.
Compound of 兵 (soldier, weapon) and 革 (leather, armor). The original meaning was 'weapons and armor,' later extended to 'warfare.' The exact historical derivation is uncertain.