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釉薬 (うわぐすり) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun
glaze ; enamel
A vitreous coating applied to ceramics, pottery, or metalwork, fused by firing. In everyday contexts, うわぐすり is the most common reading; ゆうやく and ゆう are technical.
釉薬うわぐすり
を
かける
前まえ
に
素す
焼や
き
を
する
。
The potter bisque-fires the piece before applying the glaze.
Written forms 釉薬 Usage 30% i Usage for this spelling across all readings, not one reading alone.
釉 Usage 67% i Usage for this spelling across all readings, not one reading alone.
上うわ 薬ぐすり Usage 3%
Alternate kanji spelling using 上 (upper) and 薬 (medicine/chemical), reflecting the coating nature.
うわ 薬ぐすり Usage <1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kana-kanji mixed form; not a standard written variant.
ゆう
ゆうやく
Kanji 薬 medicine, chemical, enamel Similar words 釉ゆう Same meaning but a technical, abbreviated reading; often used in compound words like 釉薬 (ゆうやく) or 施釉 (せゆう).
エナメル Loanword from English 'enamel'; used for glossy coatings on metal, nails, or teeth, not typically for pottery.
Etymology 釉薬 is a compound of 釉 (glaze) and 薬 (chemical/coating), literally 'glaze chemical'. The reading うわぐすり combines 上 (upper) and 薬 (here read ぐすり, an older form of くすり), meaning 'surface medicine/coating'. The technical readings ゆうやく and ゆう derive from the on'yomi of 釉.
