noun
sickle
A curved-bladed hand tool used for cutting grass, weeds, grain, and similar plants.
祖父は鎌で雑草を刈った。
My grandfather cut the weeds with a sickle.
noun
leading question; trick question; probing trap
Mostly used in the fixed expression 鎌をかける, meaning to ask in a way that tricks someone into revealing something.
See also: 鎌をかける (かまをかける)
本当のことを聞き出そうとして、彼に鎌をかけた。
I tried to draw out the truth by asking him a leading question.
noun
sickle-and-chain weapon; kusarigama
Abbreviation of 鎖鎌, mainly in contexts about historical weapons or martial arts; not a general everyday use of 鎌 by itself.
See also: 鎖鎌
武具の説明で「鎌」が鎖鎌の略として使われることがある。
In descriptions of weapons, 鎌 is sometimes used as an abbreviation for 鎖鎌.
noun
spear with curved cross-blades; kamayari
Abbreviation of 鎌槍, a spear with curved side blades; a limited historical-weapon term.
See also: 鎌槍
鎌槍の説明では、略して「鎌」と書かれる場合がある。
In explanations of 鎌槍, it may be abbreviated as 鎌.
noun
gooseneck tenon-and-mortise joint
Abbreviation of 鎌継, a technical carpentry/joinery term for a gooseneck-shaped joint.
See also: 鎌継
木工の図面では、鎌継を略して「鎌」と記すことがある。
In woodworking plans, 鎌継 is sometimes abbreviated as 鎌.
noun
noisiness
Archaic noun sense meaning noisiness or clamor; not a normal modern use.
古い用法では、鎌が「やかましさ」を表すことがある。
In old usage, 鎌 can mean noisiness.
noun
fish collar; part around a fish's gills
Usually written かま in food and fishmonger contexts; often used in dishes such as ブリのかま or かま焼き.
ブリのかまを塩焼きにした。
I grilled the yellowtail collar with salt.
A more formal term for a leading question; 鎌 is mainly used casually in the idiom 鎌をかける.
The full word for the sickle-and-chain weapon; 鎌 alone is only a context-dependent abbreviation for it.
A grilled dish made from the fish-collar part; かま itself refers to the part of the fish.
The word かま is a native Japanese noun of uncertain historical derivation. The kanji 鎌 is the conventional spelling associated with the sickle tool and related meanings.