ほぐし
ほぐし
noun
loosening; shredding; breaking apart
1.
loosening; relaxing (of muscles or tension)
The act of loosening stiff muscles, knots, or tension. Commonly used in the context of massage, stretching, and physical therapy.
肩のほぐしをする。
To loosen up the shoulders.
運動前のほぐしは大切だ。
Loosening up before exercise is important.
筋肉のほぐしには、ストレッチが効果的です。
Stretching is effective for loosening up muscles.
2.
shredding; pulling apart into pieces
The act of breaking food apart into smaller pieces by hand, especially cooked meat or fish. Common in cooking contexts.
鮭のほぐしをのせる。
To put shredded salmon on top.
鶏肉のほぐしをサラダに入れた。
I added shredded chicken to the salad.
ほぐした身をおにぎりの具にすると美味しい。
If you use shredded meat as a rice ball filling, it's delicious.
The noun form of the verb ほぐす (to loosen, to unravel, to shred). While the verb is versatile, the noun ほぐし is most commonly encountered in two specific domains: bodywork (massage, stretching) and cooking (shredding cooked protein).
In the bodywork sense, it often appears on massage salon menus and in fitness contexts. In cooking, 鮭のほぐし (shredded salmon) is particularly common as a rice topping or onigiri filling.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 肩のほぐし: shoulder loosening
- 筋肉のほぐし: muscle relaxation
- 鮭のほぐし: shredded salmon
- ほぐし身: shredded meat/fish
SIMILAR WORDS:
- マッサージ: massage — a broader term for bodywork; ほぐし specifically emphasizes the loosening action
- ほぐれ: the state of having become loosened — a related noun from the intransitive ほぐれる