also: ひょう
noun
bottle gourd (variety gourda); gourd container
Refers to the plant Lagenaria siceraria var. gourda and the container made from its dried fruit. Often used in traditional crafts and as a vessel.
See also: 瓢箪
ふくべ細工は栃木県の伝統工芸です。
Fukube crafts are a traditional handicraft of Tochigi Prefecture.
このふくべは水筒として使われていた。
This gourd was used as a water container.
noun
bottle gourd (variety depressa)
Only with reading ふくべ
Specifically the variety Lagenaria siceraria var. depressa, also known as 夕顔 (yūgao). The reading is restricted to ふくべ.
See also: 夕顔
夕顔はふくべの一種で、夕方に白い花を咲かせる。
Yūgao is a type of fukube that blooms white flowers in the evening.
Alternate reading ひょう for the kanji 瓢, used in some compound words or classical contexts.
Obscure kanji variant for ふくべ.
Obscure kanji variant for ふくべ.
瓢箪 (hyōtan) is the more common word for gourd or calabash, often referring to the dried, hollowed fruit used as a container or decoration. ふくべ is a less common term, typically used for specific varieties or traditional crafts.
夕顔 (yūgao) is the Japanese name for the plant Lagenaria siceraria var. depressa, which is one variety of ふくべ. ふくべ can refer to the plant or the container, while 夕顔 specifically refers to the flowering plant.
The origin of ふくべ is uncertain. It may be related to the word ふく (膨く, to swell) referring to the gourd's shape, but this is speculative.