叢時雨むらしぐれ

む

ら

し

ぐ

れ

Meanings

passing autumn shower; patchy fall rain

A brief, intermittent shower typical of autumn, often moving in patches. Literary and somewhat poetic; in everyday speech, 秋の通り雨 or にわか雨 are more common.

叢むら時雨しぐれが通とおり過すぎると、空そらに虹にじがかかった。
After the passing autumn shower, a rainbow appeared in the sky.
山やま里ざとでは、むらしぐれが一いち日にちに何なん度ども降ふったりやんだりする。
In the mountain village, patchy autumn showers come and go many times a day.

Kanji

叢plexus, clump of bushes, thicket
時time, hour
雨rain
群flock, group, crowd
村village, town

Related words

時雨しぐれ
Refers to a late-autumn or early-winter drizzle, often more persistent and melancholic. 叢時雨 specifically emphasizes the patchy, intermittent nature.
通とおり雨あめ
A general passing shower, not limited to autumn. 叢時雨 is a seasonal, literary term.

Written forms

叢時雨むらしぐれ
Literary kanji spelling; 叢 means 'cluster' or 'thicket', evoking patchy rain. Rare in modern use.
群むら時雨しぐれ
Variant kanji spelling using 群 'group', also rare.
村むら時雨しぐれ
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Ateji spelling using 村 'village'; not used in modern Japanese.

Etymology

Compound of 叢 (むら, 'cluster, patch') and 時雨 (しぐれ, 'autumn/winter drizzle'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word poetically describes rain that falls in scattered patches.