also: かん · かむり · かんぶり
Shinto priests wear a traditional cap during ceremonies.
General term for a crown or ornamental headpiece worn by monarchs or deities. Also used metaphorically.
The king wore a heavy crown.
top kanji radical
Only with reading かんむり
In kanji studies, refers to the 'crown' radical (かんむり), the component that sits at the top of a character, e.g., 宀 (うかんむり) or 艹 (くさかんむり).
The top part of 安 is a radical called 'u-kanmuri'.
first verse (haikai)
Only with reading かむり
Rare poetic term for the opening verse of a haikai or similar linked-verse form. Read かむり.
See also: 俳諧
In haikai, the first verse is sometimes called 'kamuri'.
taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle
Only with reading かん
Literary, old-fashioned adjective/adverb meaning 'the very best' or 'unrivaled'. Used with たる or と, e.g., 冠たる作品. Read かん.
He is the peerless poet of our time.
counter for titles (shogi)
Only with reading かん
In shogi, used to count the number of titles a player holds, e.g., 二冠 (two titles). Read かん.
He currently holds three titles.
The queen was wearing a beautiful crown.
This tournament is named after the sponsoring company.
He won three titles this season.
This technology is unrivaled in the world.
crowned pigeon
Rare reading used only for the first verse of haikai or similar poetry.
Archaic reading; not used in modern Japanese.
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing when the kanji is not needed or for clarity.