desolate field; withered field
A field or plain where the vegetation has died, typically in autumn or winter, evoking a bleak, lonely atmosphere. Often used in poetic or literary contexts.
I walked alone across the desolate winter field.
The wind blows through the withered field.
Standard kanji spelling; the okurigana れ makes the reading clear.
Alternate spelling without okurigana; less common but still encountered.
Compound of 枯れ (kare, 'withering', the continuative form of 枯れる) and 野 (no, 'field'). The spelling 枯野 is a variant without okurigana.