臼 means “mortar”

うす · usu

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

うす, うすづく

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

キュウ, グ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 6 strokes

The story

A drawing of a mortar, the Shuowen says, with the strokes inside as grain: the tub where rice is pounded into mochi at New Year. 石臼 is a millstone, 臼歯 are molars, the mortars of the mouth, and 脱臼 is a dislocated joint.

Used in 臼 (usu, mortar), 臼歯 (kyuushi, molar), and 脱臼 (dakkyuu, dislocation)

More from Paddy & Pasture

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• 飼 keep
• 壌 soil
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• 肥 fertilizer
• 俵 straw bale
• 栽 plant
• 拓 clear land
• 鎌 sickle

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.