腫 means “swell, swelling”

はれる · hareru

Also: tumor

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

はれる, はれ, はらす, はれもの

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

シュ, ショウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 13 strokes

The story

Flesh (月) grown heavy (重): a swelling. 腫れる is to swell, a twisted ankle or eyes after crying, and a 腫れ物 is a boil, so treating someone 腫れ物に触るよう is handling them like a sore spot.

Used in 腫れる (hareru, to swell), 腫瘍 (shuyou, tumor), and 腫れ物 (haremono, boil/swelling)

More from Sickness & Cures

• 痘 pox
• 瘍 ulcer
• 唾 saliva
• 梗 blockage
• 痩 get thin
• 健 healthy
• 康 ease
• 傷 wound
• 診 examine (a patient)
• 看 watch over
• 症 symptom
• 剤 medicine

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