also: ふじょ
noun
shrine maiden; miko
A young woman, traditionally unmarried, who assists in Shinto shrine rituals and ceremonies. The term is culturally specific and often left as 'miko' in English.
巫女が神社でお祓いをしている。
A shrine maiden is performing a purification ritual at the shrine.
彼女は正月に巫女のアルバイトをした。
She worked part-time as a miko during the New Year.
noun
Only when written 巫女
Historical or folkloric sense: a woman who acts as a spiritual medium or shaman. Restricted to the 巫女 spelling; also written simply as 巫.
古代の巫女は神の言葉を伝える役割を担っていた。
Ancient miko served as mediums to convey the words of the gods.
Formal or historical reading of 巫女, used in older texts or specific contexts.
Alternate kanji spelling, less common than 巫女.
Search-only kanji form; not normally used in modern writing.
The kanji 巫 (shaman) and 女 (woman) combine to mean 'shaman woman.' The reading みこ is a gikun (meaning-based reading) of native origin, while ふじょ is the on'yomi reading used in formal or historical contexts.