godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb
neigh; whinny
Refers specifically to the sound a horse makes. Used in both literal and figurative contexts.
馬が嘶く声が聞こえた。
I heard a horse neighing.
遠くで馬が嘶いている。
A horse is neighing in the distance.
Standard kanji spelling for 'to neigh'.
Kana spelling is common when the kanji is considered difficult or obscure.
鳴く is a general term for animals making sounds (e.g., birds chirping, cats meowing). 嘶く is specific to horses neighing.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 嘶 is composed of 口 (mouth) and 斯 (this), but the character is specifically used for the neighing of a horse.