消しゴム
Meaning in Englisheraser
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
消しゴム means an eraser used to remove pencil marks. It denotes the common small tool made of rubber or kneaded material, used in classrooms, offices, and studios to correct graphite drawings.
Main meanings
- General-purpose eraser for pencil marks on paper
- Kneaded eraser, pliable and shapeable for delicate corrections
- Eraser types for mechanical pencils, typically small and rectangular
How to use it
Used to remove pencil marks on paper; common in formal and casual writing contexts, classrooms, offices, and art studios. For broad erasing, plasticky erasers are typical; kneaded erasers are favored for shading and precision work, while compact, rectangular erasers suit quick corrections during note-taking.
Variants and close terms
- 練り消しゴム (neri-keshi-gomu): kneaded eraser
- シャープペン用消しゴム (sha-pu-pen-yo keshigomu): eraser for mechanical pencils
- ゴム (gomu): casual term for rubber, sometimes used to mean eraser
Composition
- 消 erase action
- し hiragana connecting to the stem
- ゴム rubber material
Etymology
消し kesu from the verb erase, and ゴム gomu from English gum/rubber, combining to mean an eraser
Origin
Introduced to Japan in the late 19th century as Western-style school supplies; mass production began in the early 20th century.
Word class
noun (名詞)