god of wealth; Daikokuten
Abbreviation of 大黒天 (Daikokuten), one of the Seven Lucky Gods. Used in contexts related to fortune and prosperity.
See also: 大黒天
Daikoku-sama is one of the Seven Lucky Gods and is known as the god of wealth.
monk's wife
Archaic term for the wife of a Buddhist monk. Not used in modern Japanese.
古文書には、僧侶の妻を「大黒」と記した例がある。
In old documents, there are examples where a monk's wife is written as 大黒.
central pillar; main pillar · mainstay; backbone; provider
white rat; albino rat · Daikoku's white rat; white rat of Daikokuten
bouffant cloth cap; traditional soft cap
horned dung beetle; Copris ochus
Standard kanji spelling for both senses.
The kanji 大黒 literally mean 'great black/darkness', but the word is an abbreviation of 大黒天 (Daikokuten), which derives from the Sanskrit deity Mahākāla. The archaic sense 'monk's wife' is a separate development, possibly from the same kanji used in a different context.