しめじ

し

め

じ

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

Lyophyllum shimeji; hon-shimeji mushroom

usually written using kana alone

Refers specifically to the wild species Lyophyllum shimeji, a prized edible mushroom. Often called 本占地 (ほんしめじ) to distinguish it from cultivated varieties.

Kanji

占fortune-telling, divining, forecasting
地ground, earth
湿damp, wet, moist

Related words

本ほん占しめ地じ
Specifically the wild Lyophyllum shimeji, as opposed to the cultivated shimeji commonly sold in stores.
ぶなしめじ
A common cultivated variety (Hypsizygus tessellatus), often simply called しめじ in grocery stores.
平ひら茸たけ
Oyster mushroom; a different species sometimes confused with shimeji.

Word family

ホンシメジ
Lyophyllum shimeji (edible mushroom)
ハタケシメジ
clustered domecap; fried chicken mushroom
キシメジ
man on horseback mushroom; yellow knight
イッポンシメジ
livid pinkgill; Entoloma sinuatum
センボンシメジ
Lyophyllum fumosum (species of mushroom)
シャカシメジ
Lyophyllum fumosum (species of mushroom)

Written forms

しめじUsage70%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms are rare and may be confused with other words.
シメジUsage29%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common in grocery stores and menus.
占しめ地じUsage<1%
Rare kanji spelling; may be confused with other readings.
湿しめ地じ
Rare kanji spelling; normally read しっち (wetland).

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. The kanji 占地 (literally 'occupy land') and 湿地 ('wetland') are ateji and do not reflect the etymology.

Meanings

noun

Lyophyllum shimeji; hon-shimeji mushroom

usually written using kana alone

Refers specifically to the wild species Lyophyllum shimeji, a prized edible mushroom. Often called 本占地 (ほんしめじ) to distinguish it from cultivated varieties.