noun
goddess; female deity
Refers to a female deity in Shinto or Japanese mythology. The reading ひめがみ is standard; ひめかみ is a less common variant.
この神社の祭神は姫神です。
The deity enshrined here is a goddess.
姫神は水の神として崇められている。
The goddess is worshipped as a water deity.
Alternate kanji form using 比売 for ひめ; less common.
女神 is the general word for 'goddess', while 姫神 specifically implies a young or noble female deity, often in a Shinto context.
Compound of 姫 (hime, 'princess' or 'young noblewoman') and 神 (kami, 'god' or 'deity'), with rendaku voicing to -gami. The alternate reading ひめかみ is a less common unvoiced variant.