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巨礫 (きょれき, kyoreki) Japanese meaning: boulder | Kotomora

巨きょ礫れき

Meanings

1

Geological term for a large rock fragment, typically over 256 mm in diameter. Used in academic and technical contexts.

河原かわらには巨きょ礫れきがいくつも転ころがっている。
Several boulders are scattered on the riverbed.

Kanji

巨gigantic, big, large
礫small stones

Related words

岩いわ
岩 is a general word for 'rock' or 'crag', while 巨礫 specifically refers to a large, rounded boulder in a geological context.
礫れき
礫 means 'pebble' or 'gravel' and is much smaller than 巨礫, which denotes a boulder-sized fragment.

Etymology

Compound of 巨 (きょ, 'giant') and 礫 (れき, 'pebble, gravel'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning 'boulder' in geology.