also: こうそんじゅ
ginkgo; maidenhair tree
Refers to the tree Ginkgo biloba, its leaves, or its nuts. Commonly written in katakana as イチョウ.
In autumn, ginkgo leaves turn yellow.
There is a large ginkgo tree in the shrine grounds.
large ginkgo tree · ginkgo-leaf topknot (sumo)
Cancer japonicus; a species of crab
ginkgo-toothed beaked whale
ancient Japanese ladies' hairstyle; ginkgo-leaf chignon
Dungeness crab
Katakana spelling is standard for this plant name; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling is also common and matches the usual-kana preference.
Literary Chinese-derived name meaning 'grandson tree'; very rare. The reading こうそんじゅ is restricted to this form.
Ateji spelling using kanji for 'silver' and 'apricot'; the reading いちょう is a gikun/jukujikun. Rarely used in modern writing.
Obscure variant meaning 'duck-foot tree'; almost never used.
The Japanese name イチョウ likely derives from Chinese 鴨脚 (yājiǎo, 'duck foot'), referring to the leaf shape. The kanji 銀杏 are ateji borrowed from Chinese, where they originally referred to the apricot-like fruit.