also: くろ
ridge between rice fields; paddy ridge
The raised earth path or boundary between rice paddies; a common rural landscape feature.
Walk along the ridge path between the rice fields.
ridge in a threshold or lintel
Technical carpentry term for the raised strip between grooves in a door threshold or lintel.
The ridge in the threshold is worn down.
footpath between rice fields; causeway
Abbreviation of あぜ道; refers specifically to the narrow path on top of the ridge used for walking.
See also: あぜ道
Walk along the footpath to the next rice field.
water hyssop; brahmi; Bacopa monnieri
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 畦 and 畔 are also used but less common.
Alternate kanji form; also read くろ in some contexts.
Rare reading くろ for the kanji 畔; may appear in older or dialectal usage.
Kanji form for あぜ; used in some contexts, especially in agricultural writing.
The origin is uncertain; the word is native Japanese and has been used since ancient times to refer to the ridges between rice fields.