1.
Job's tears (plant); its hard seeds
A tall grass (イネ科) that grows near water, and especially its hard, glossy, teardrop-shaped seeds. The seeds are naturally holed and have long been strung as beads. Composed of 数珠 (prayer beads) and 玉 (bead).
A familiar wild plant of riversides; the beadlike seeds are a traditional plaything for children.
Common collocations
- 数珠玉を通す: to string Job's tears seeds
- 数珠玉の実: the seeds of Job's tears
- 数珠玉を集める: to gather Job's tears seeds
Similar words
- ハトムギ: adlay — a closely related cultivated grain grown for food and tea
- 数珠: prayer beads — the Buddhist rosary the seeds were once used to make