鵺ぬえ

noun

Japanese chimera; mythical creature

A legendary monster with a monkey's head, tanuki body, tiger limbs, and snake tail. Often associated with ominous cries.

• 鵺ぬえは平へい安あん時じ代だいの物もの語がたりに登とう場じょうする妖よう怪かいだ。

  The nue is a monster that appears in Heian-period tales.

• 夜よ中なかに鵺ぬえの鳴なき声ごえが聞きこえたという伝でん説せつがある。

  There is a legend that the cry of a nue was heard in the middle of the night.

noun

White's thrush; scaly thrush

A bird (Zoothera dauma) whose nocturnal call resembles the mythical nue's cry, hence the name. Also called トラツグミ.

See also: トラツグミ

• ぬえは夜よるに鳴なく鳥とりで、その声こえが不ぶ気き味みだと言いわれる。

  The nue is a bird that calls at night, and its voice is said to be eerie.

noun

mysterious person; enigma

Figurative use for a person whose true nature or intentions are hard to grasp, like the mythical creature.

• 彼かれは何なにを考かんがえているかわからない、まるで鵺ぬえのような男おとこだ。

  He's a man you can never tell what he's thinking, just like a nue.