釉薬うわぐすり

also: ゆうやく · ゆう

う

わ

ぐ

す

り

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

glaze; enamel

A vitreous coating applied to ceramics, pottery, or metalwork, fused by firing. In everyday contexts, うわぐすり is the most common reading; ゆうやく and ゆう are technical.

この茶ちゃ碗わんの釉薬うわぐすりは美うつくしい青あお緑みどり色いろだ。
The glaze on this tea bowl is a beautiful blue-green.
陶とう芸げい家かは釉薬うわぐすりをかける前まえに素す焼やきをする。
The potter bisque-fires the piece before applying the glaze.

See all 36 example sentences ›

Kanji

釉glaze, enamel
薬medicine, chemical, enamel
上above, up

Related words

エナメル
釉薬 is the glaze used on pottery and ceramics, while エナメル is the broader term for a hard glossy coating on teeth, metal, or ceramics.

Written forms

釉薬Usage30%
- うわぐすり
  Standard kanji spelling for the common reading うわぐすり.
- ゆうやく
  Technical reading used mainly in ceramics and materials science.
釉Usage67%
- うわぐすり
  Single-character form; also read ゆう in technical contexts.
- ゆう
  Abbreviated technical reading; often appears in compound terms.
上うわ薬ぐすりUsage3%
Alternate kanji spelling using 上 (upper) and 薬 (medicine/chemical), reflecting the coating nature.
うわ薬ぐすりUsage<1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kana-kanji mixed form; not a standard written variant.
ゆう
ゆうやく

Etymology

釉薬 is a compound of 釉 (glaze) and 薬 (chemical/coating), literally 'glaze chemical'. The reading うわぐすり combines 上 (upper) and 薬 (here read ぐすり, an older form of くすり), meaning 'surface medicine/coating'. The technical readings ゆうやく and ゆう derive from the on'yomi of 釉.