also: くろんぼう
Highly offensive racial slur; equivalent to the n-word in English. Not used in polite or formal contexts.
well-tanned person
Can be used jokingly or affectionately among close friends, but may be considered insensitive. Not a standard term for a tan.
wheat smut
Agricultural term for a fungal disease that blackens wheat grains. Rare, technical use.
This wheat is affected by smut.
stagehand (kabuki); prompter (kabuki)
Kabuki term for a stagehand dressed in black, traditionally considered invisible to the audience. Also refers to a prompter. See 黒衣 (くろご).
See also: 黒子 (くろご)
He got angry when called a 'kuronbo'.
I went to the beach during summer vacation and got totally tanned.
The stagehand moved the props on stage.
Kanji form with reading くろんぼう; rarely used.
Variant with long final vowel; less common.
Kanji form; rarely used.
Search-only kanji form; not a standard spelling.
Derived from 黒 (くろ, 'black') + ん坊 (んぼう, a suffix for a person, often with a derogatory or familiar nuance). The exact historical development is uncertain.