noun
Literary or poetic term for a half-moon, likening its shape to a drawn bow. Often used in classical or descriptive contexts; in everyday speech 半月 (はんげつ) is more common.
See also: 弦月
弓張月が夜空に浮かんでいた。
A half-moon hung in the night sky.
Standard kanji spelling for the half-moon shape.
Variant with okurigana; less common but still seen.
Compound of 弓 (yumi, 'bow'), 張り (hari, 'stretching'), and 月 (tsuki, 'moon'), referring to the moon's shape resembling a drawn bow. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the imagery is clear.