千せん両りょう

noun

glabrous sarcandra herb; Sarcandra glabra

A plant species. In everyday contexts, often written in katakana as センリョウ.

• お正しょう月がつの飾かざりに千せん両りょうを使つかう家か庭ていもある。

  Some households use sarcandra for New Year decorations.

noun

very large sum of money; 1000 ryō

Only when written 千両

Historically, 1000 ryō was an enormous amount. In modern use, it figuratively means a huge sum of money or very high value. Sense 3 is the literal historical meaning.

• この絵えは千せん両りょうの価か値ちがあると言いわれている。

  This painting is said to be worth a fortune.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だい、千せん両りょうは大たい金きんだった。

  In the Edo period, 1000 ryō was a huge sum of money.