切(き)り株(かぶ)

切(き)り株(かぶ) refers to the part of a tree left standing in the ground after the trunk has been cut down.

Forms

切(き)り (from 切(き)る, to cut) + 株(かぶ) (stump, root stock). The 株(かぶ) component here means the base or root portion of a plant.

Common collocations

• 切(き)り株(かぶ)に腰掛(こしか)ける: to sit on a stump
• 切(き)り株(かぶ)を抜(ぬ)く: to pull out a stump
• 古(ふる)い切(き)り株(かぶ): an old stump
• 切(き)り株(かぶ)から芽(め)が出(で)る: sprouts growing from a stump

Cultural note

Tree stumps appear frequently in Japanese folktales and children's stories, often as resting spots for forest animals. The Aesop-derived story 「待(ま)ちぼうけ」 features a farmer who waits by a stump for another rabbit to crash into it.