noun
monkfish; goosefish; anglerfish
Refers to the fish, especially as food. In everyday contexts, あんこう is the most common form.
冬はあんこう鍋がおいしい。
Monkfish hot pot is delicious in winter.
市場で大きなあんこうを見つけた。
I found a big monkfish at the market.
noun
curved gutter
A technical term for a curved gutter, likely from the fish's wide mouth shape. Rare outside specialized contexts.
この建物の軒には鮟鱇という曲がった樋が使われている。
A curved gutter called 'ankō' is used on the eaves of this building.
noun
Archaic derogatory term, possibly from the fish's gaping mouth. Not used in modern Japanese.
古い文献では「あんこう」が愚か者を指すことがある。
In old texts, 'ankō' can refer to a fool.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 鮟鱇 are ateji (phonetic equivalents) for the fish name. The archaic 'fool' sense may derive from the fish's appearance.