1.
lump; bump; swelling; hump
A rounded protrusion — a bump raised on the head by a knock, a knot on a tree trunk, or the hump on a camel's back. Usually written in kana.
Normally written こぶ in kana; the kanji 瘤 appears mainly in medical or literary writing.
Common expressions
- こぶができる: for a bump to form
- たんこぶ: a bump on the head — the colloquial, slightly childish variant
- 目の上のたんこぶ: a thorn in one's side (literally, a lump above the eye) — someone in a senior position who is always in your way
Similar words
- 腫れ: swelling — a spread-out puffiness rather than a distinct lump
- できもの: a growth, boil — something that appears on the skin, often needing treatment