餓鬼

Etymology
The Buddhism sense is a translation of.

Noun

 * 1) hungry person
 * 2) glutton; gourmand
 * 3)  pig
 * 4)  hungry ghost one of the six realms of reincarnation in Buddhist cosmology

Etymology 1


Borrowing from compound. Compare modern 🇨🇬 reading gō-kúi. The 🇨🇬 term derives from the importation of into, as a translation of 🇨🇬.

Noun

 * 1)  short for : the hungry ghost realm, one of the six realms of reincarnation in Buddhist cosmology
 * 2)  a preta: the spirit of a jealous or greedy person who, as punishment for mortal vices, has been cursed with insatiable hunger
 * 3)  the souls of the dead who languish in oblivion without any surviving relatives to pray for their peace
 * 4)  anyone who is constantly hungry or thirsty
 * 5)  anyone who is unhealthily thin and appears as if they are starving
 * 6)  an unpleasant child, a brat
 * 1)  an unpleasant child, a brat

Usage notes
The slang sense is often spelled in kana.

Etymology 2
Shift in pronunciation of gaki above. Gemination is a common form of emphasis in the process of word formation. The meaning of is by extension from the original sense of gaki above, referring to someone who is always hungry.

Noun

 * 1)  an unpleasant child, a brat

Usage notes
Often spelled in kana.