large snake; serpent
Refers to a big snake, often a boa or python. The kanji forms are rare; the word is usually written in kana.
I saw a large snake at the zoo.
Colloquial metaphor comparing someone who drinks a lot to a large snake that swallows things whole. Often used in phrases like うわばみのような人 or うわばみのように飲む.
He drinks like a fish.
That person is a real heavy drinker, isn't he?
Elatostema umbellatum var. majus
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms are rare and mainly encountered in literary or historical contexts.
Katakana spelling, sometimes used for emphasis or in informal writing.
Rare kanji for 'large snake'; not commonly used in modern Japanese.
Rare kanji compound for 'large snake'; literary or historical.
Variant kanji for 'large snake'; extremely rare.
The origin is uncertain. The word may be related to the idea of a snake that swallows things whole, but the exact derivation is unclear.