deuteragonist; secondary actor
In Noh theater, the actor who plays the supporting role opposite the shite (仕手). The term is domain-specific to Noh.
See also: 仕手
In Noh, the ado plays a supporting role opposite the shite.
Katakana spelling is standard for this Noh term; usually written in kana.
Ateji kanji form; reading is gikun (special kanji reading). Rarely used.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the term is a specialized Noh theater word.