also: ぼうたん
tree peony; moutan
Refers to the flowering plant Paeonia suffruticosa. The kanji spelling is standard; kana is also common.
Tree peonies are blooming in the garden.
wild boar meat
Only with reading ぼたん
Used for the meat of wild boar, especially in culinary contexts. The reading is ぼたん; the kana spelling is usual.
This restaurant is famous for its wild boar hot pot.
Tree peony flowers are large and gorgeous.
winter peony; tree peony
winter peony; tree peony
variety of Japanese plum
oriental cherry variety descended from Oshima cherry
peony root bark
Standard kanji spelling for the tree peony. Also used for the wild boar meat sense, though kana is more common there.
Rare reading of the kanji form; not commonly used in modern Japanese.
Katakana spelling is sometimes used, especially in menus or for emphasis.
Kana spelling is usual for the wild boar meat sense.
The kanji 牡丹 are Chinese loan characters for the tree peony. The reading ぼたん is derived from the Chinese pronunciation. The wild boar meat sense is a metaphorical extension, possibly from the resemblance of sliced boar meat to peony petals.