also: しゅくぼ · はくぼ
noun
Refers to a parent's sister, or sometimes an aunt by marriage. In careful writing, 叔母 is used for a younger sister of one's parent and 伯母 for an older sister of one's parent; both are read おば in ordinary speech.
See also: 伯父 (おじ)
父の妹は私の叔母です。
My father's younger sister is my aunt.
母の姉にあたる伯母が遊びに来
My aunt, my mother's older sister, came to visit.
Kana spelling is useful when the older-versus-younger kanji distinction is unnecessary or unknown.
Standard spelling for an aunt who is older than one's parent.
Rare Sino-Japanese reading of 伯母; the everyday reading is おば.
The everyday reading おば is the normal kinship term. The kanji spellings distinguish age relative to the parent: 伯母 for an older sister and 叔母 for a younger sister. The rare readings はくぼ and しゅくぼ reflect the Sino-Japanese readings of the characters.