繰くる

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

reel; wind; spin thread

Used especially for handling thread, yarn, silk, or a line by drawing it out or winding it. More specific and less everyday than 巻く.

• 職しょく人にんが繭まゆから絹きぬ糸いとを繰くる。

  The artisan reels silk thread from cocoons.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

turn pages; leaf through; consult a reference book

Used with pages, books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and similar reference works. Often has a slightly written or careful tone compared with めくる for simply turning pages.

• 彼かの女じょは古ふるいアルバムのページをゆっくり繰くった。

  She slowly turned the pages of the old photo album.

• 分わからない語ごを辞じ書しょを繰くって調しらべた。

  I consulted a dictionary to look up the word I did not know.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

count days; reckon days

Limited and old-fashioned use, mainly in expressions such as 日を繰る. In modern Japanese, 日を数える or 指折り数える is usually more natural.

• 古ふるい文ぶん章しょうでは、「日ひを繰くる」が日にっ数すうを数かぞえる意い味みで使つかわれることがある。

  In older writing, 日を繰る is sometimes used to mean counting the days.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

open one by one; close one by one

Used for moving items such as shutters or sliding panels in sequence. This sense is uncommon in ordinary modern speech, where 開ける or 閉める is usually simpler.

• 夕ゆう方がたになると、祖そ父ふは雨あま戸どを一いち枚まいずつ繰くった。

  In the evening, my grandfather closed the storm shutters one by one.