鷹の爪

Japanese

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.

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

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

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)
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)
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. alternate name for 爪草 (​tsumekusa), the Japanese pearlwort or 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.

Synonyms

• (tree): 芋(いも)の木(き) (imo no ki)
• (chili): 唐(とう)辛(がら)子(し) (tōgarashi)