also: き
counter
counter for small animals
Only with reading ひき
Used to count small animals such as cats, dogs, fish, insects, and similar creatures. Larger animals are more often counted with 頭. The pronunciation changes after some numbers: 一匹 is いっぴき, 二匹 is にひき, 三匹 is さんびき.
うちでは猫を二匹飼っている。
We keep two cats at home.
池に小さな魚が三匹いた。
There were three small fish in the pond.
counter
counter for rolls of cloth
Traditional or specialized textile use for counting rolls of cloth, described as rolls of cloth of two han in size. This is not an everyday counter for learners outside historical, textile, or kimono-related contexts.
古い和裁の本では、反物を一疋、二疋と数えている。
In old books on Japanese sewing, bolts of cloth are counted as one hiki, two hiki.
counter
archaic counter for horses
Only with reading き
Archaic use read き for counting horses. In modern Japanese, horses are normally counted with 頭, while 騎 is used in contexts such as mounted riders or cavalry.
古い注釈では、馬を数える匹を「き」と読む用法が説明されている。
In old annotations, the use of 匹 read as ki for counting horses is explained.
noun
roll of cloth
Noun use meaning a roll of cloth. This is a traditional textile term and is rare in ordinary modern conversation compared with clearer words such as 反物.
古い織物の資料では、「疋」が一巻きの布を指す名詞として出ることがある。
In old textile materials, 疋 sometimes appears as a noun referring to a roll of cloth.