also: ぼうたん
noun
tree peony; moutan
Refers to the flowering plant Paeonia suffruticosa. The kanji spelling is standard; kana is also common.
庭に牡丹が咲いている。
Tree peonies are blooming in the garden.
牡丹の花は大きくて華やかだ。
Tree peony flowers are large and gorgeous.
noun
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.
この店ではぼたん鍋が名物だ。
This restaurant is famous for its wild boar hot pot.
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.