Archaic term for a person captured in war or conflict. In modern Japanese, 捕虜 (ほりょ) is the standard word for prisoner of war, and 虜 is rarely used alone.
See also: 虜 (とりこ)
In old documents, people captured in battle are recorded as 虜.
Archaic derogatory term for non-Japanese people, often implying uncivilized or enslaved status. This usage is obsolete and offensive by modern standards.
In ancient Chinese historical records, there are examples of neighboring peoples being called 虜.
prisoner of war; POW; captive
captive; prisoner of war
prisoner of war; captive
northern barbarian tribes (ancient China) · foreigner; barbarian tribe
prisoner of war
slave; captive
The kanji 虜 originally meant 'captive' or 'prisoner of war' in Chinese. In Japanese, it was used as a standalone noun in classical texts but is now almost exclusively found in compounds. The reading りょ is the on'yomi.