鷹の爪

Japanese

Kanji in this term
鷹	爪
たか Jinmeiyō	つめ Grade: S
kun'yomi

鷹の爪 (taka no tsume, the chili): a chili of similar shape to a common taka no tsume.

鷹の爪 (taka no tsume, the tree): the leaves and immature fruit of Gamblea innovans.

Etymology

Compound of 鷹(たか) (taka, “hawk, falcon”) + の (no, possessive particle) + 爪(つめ) (tsume, “claw, talon”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) たかのつめ [tàká nó tsúmé] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ta̠ka̠ no̞ t͡sɨme̞]

Noun

鷹(たか)の爪(つめ) • (taka no tsume) 

1. Gamblea innovans, a deciduous tree native to Japan, used for its wood (possibly so called for the way the leaves grow in groups of three, similar to a hawk's claws)

   Synonym: 芋木 (imo no ki)

2. a kind of chili (Capsicum annuum) that is curved and slender, used for pickling (so called for the way the shape resembles a hawk's claw)

   Synonym: 唐辛子 (tōgarashi)

3. a kind of high-quality tea (so called for the way guests may decide to stay longer to partake, as if caught by a claw)
4. Synonym of 爪草 (tsumekusa, “Japanese pearlwort, Sagina japonica”)

Usage notes

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as タカノツメ.