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噛み殺す (かみころす) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

噛かみ殺ころす

か

み

こ

ろ

す

Meanings

1

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

stifle a smile, yawn, etc.

Used for suppressing an involuntary expression by biting one's lip or clenching one's teeth. Common with 笑い (smile/laugh) and あくび (yawn).

彼かれは笑わらいを噛かみ殺ころしながら話はなしを聞きいていた。
He was listening to the story while stifling a laugh.
会かい議ぎ中ちゅうにあくびを噛かみ殺ころ

す

の

に

必ひっ

死し

だっ

た

。

I struggled to stifle a yawn during the meeting.

2

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

bite to death

Literal meaning: to kill by biting. Often used for animals or in violent contexts.

その犬いぬは蛇へびを噛かみ殺ころした。
The dog bit the snake to death.

Written forms

噛かみ殺ころすUsage22%
Standard kanji spelling using the common 噛む kanji.
かみ殺ころすUsage63%
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; sometimes used for readability or when the kanji 噛 is considered difficult.
かみころすUsage15%
噛かみ殺ころす
Variant spelling omitting the okurigana み; less common but still encountered.

Kanji

噛chew, bite, gnaw
殺kill, murder, butcher

Similar words

噛かむ
噛む means 'to bite' or 'to chew'. 噛み殺す adds the meaning of killing or suppressing by biting.
殺ころす
殺す is a general verb for 'to kill'. 噛み殺す specifies killing by biting, or metaphorically suppressing an expression.

Etymology

Compound of 噛み (kami, continuative form of 噛む 'to bite') + 殺す (korosu 'to kill'). The literal sense 'bite to death' is the original meaning; the figurative sense 'stifle (a smile, yawn)' developed from the image of biting down to suppress something.