1.
earthworm
A soft-bodied, segmented worm that lives in soil. Important for soil aeration and composting.
庭を掘ったら蚯蚓が出てきた。
Earthworms came out when I dug in the garden.
蚯蚓は土を肥やします。
Earthworms enrich the soil.
釣りの餌に蚯蚓を使います。
I use earthworms as fishing bait.
蚯蚓 is the common word for earthworm. Usually written in hiragana (みみず) since the kanji {蚯蚓} is rarely used.
ECOLOGICAL ROLE:
- Aerate soil and improve drainage
- Break down organic matter into compost
- Enrich soil nutrients through castings
- Widely valued in gardening and agriculture
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- 蚯蚓腫れ: a welt or linear swelling on the skin (literally "earthworm swelling")
- 蚯蚓のような字: illegibly scrawled handwriting (literally "letters like earthworms")
USAGE:
- Counter: 匹
- Used as fishing bait (釣りの餌)
- Children often encounter them when digging in soil
CULTURAL NOTE:
In traditional folk medicine, dried earthworm (地竜) was used as a fever reducer. The expression 蚯蚓に小便をかけると腫れる is a folk superstition warning children not to urinate on earthworms.