also: せきじょ · しゃくにょ
noun
barren woman; sterile woman
Sensitive, dated term for a woman who cannot bear children. Often considered offensive; use with caution. Modern medical terms like 不妊の女性 are preferred.
昔話には、石女が悲しみの末に子宝を授かる話がある。
In old tales, there are stories of barren women who are eventually blessed with a child after much sorrow.
「石女」という言葉は、今では差別
The word 'umazume' is now considered a discriminatory expression.
Obsolete on'yomi reading of 石女.
Obsolete on'yomi reading of 石女.
Explicitly spells out 'woman who does not give birth'; less common.
Rare variant; 不生 means 'not giving birth'.
Modern, neutral medical term for infertility, applicable to both men and women. Unlike 石女, it is not gender-specific or derogatory.
The kanji 石 (stone) and 女 (woman) combine to suggest a woman who is 'stone-like' in her inability to bear children. The reading うまずめ is a kun'yomi compound of 産まず (umazu, 'not give birth') and 女 (me, 'woman'). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but the term has been used since classical times.