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消息子 (しょうそくし) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

消しょう息そく子し

しょ

う

そ

く

し

Meanings

1

noun

earpick; ear pick

Common everyday term for a small tool used to clean the ear canal.

薬やっ局きょくで消しょう息そく子しを買かった。
I bought an earpick at the pharmacy.

2

noun

medicine

Medical term for a slender instrument used to explore wounds, cavities, or passages. Cross-referenced with ゾンデ.

See also:

Kanji

消extinguish, blow out, turn off
息breath, respiration, son
子child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM

Similar words

ゾンデ
ゾンデ is a loanword from German 'Sonde' and is used more broadly for various medical probes and catheters, while 消息子 is a native Japanese term specifically for a slender probe or earpick.

Etymology

The term 消息子 is composed of 消息 (news, tidings) and 子 (small thing), but the exact derivation is uncertain. It may have originally referred to a tool for conveying information (e.g., probing), but the connection is not clear. The medical sense is a specialized extension.

医い師しは消しょう息そく子しを使つかって傷きずの深ふかさを調しらべた。
The doctor used a probe to examine the depth of the wound.