墨染め
Meanings
noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
dyeing black; dyed black; dark
Refers to the process of dyeing something black, or the resulting black color. Often used poetically for deep darkness, such as night or shadows.
A kimono dyed black has a calm atmosphere.
Stars shone in the ink-black sky.
priest robes; priesthood
Abbreviation of 墨染めの衣 (sumizome no koromo), referring to the black robes worn by Buddhist priests. By extension, can indicate the priesthood itself.
See also: 墨染めの衣 (すみぞめのころも)
He donned priest robes and devoted himself to training.
A monk in black robes walked quietly.
Black clothing worn for mourning. This usage is less common in modern Japanese, where 喪服 (mofuku) is the standard term.
There was a custom of wearing black mourning clothes at funerals.