piercing cold; biting wind
Describes cold or wind so intense it feels like it cuts into the body. Often used with nouns like 寒さ (cold) or 風 (wind).
He waited outside in the piercing cold.
A biting wind blows against me.
Standard kanji spelling for this expression.
Alternate kanji spelling using 様; less common but still encountered.
The expression literally means 'as if cutting the body', a metaphorical phrase for intense cold or wind. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a natural figurative extension of 身 (body) and 切る (cut).