also: ふく · ふくべ · かとん
noun
puffer fish; blowfish; fugu
Refers to the fish, especially as a delicacy in Japanese cuisine. Often associated with the potential poison (tetrodotoxin) and the need for licensed preparation.
冬になるとフグ鍋が食べたくなる。
When winter comes, I crave fugu hot pot.
フグは調理免許がないとさばけない。
You can't prepare fugu without a cooking license.
Kanji form used in formal or literary contexts, but less common than kana.
Rarely used reading for the kanji form 河豚.
Rarely used kanji form.
Obsolete reading; rarely encountered.
Obsolete reading; rarely encountered.
Refers specifically to tetrodotoxin, the poison found in puffer fish.
The origin is uncertain. The word may be related to the verb ふく (to blow) because the fish inflates its body, but this is speculative.