馬刀貝

Japanese

Kanji in this term
馬	刀	貝
ま Grade: 2	- Grade: 2	かい > がい Grade: 1
on’yomi	irregular	kun’yomi

Etymology

The spelling of the mate portion is ateji (当て字). The 馬 (ma) appears to be phonetic, and possibly in reference to the larger size. The 刀 (te) is an irregular reading, and likely in reference to the blade-like nature of the shell.

For pronunciation and definitions of 馬刀貝 – see the following entry.

【マテガイまてがい】

[noun] a razor clam, more specifically Gould's razor shell: Solen strictus.

Alternative spellings
蟶貝, 馬蛤貝

(This term, 馬刀貝, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

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