Stone mill - ishiusu

Japanese: 石臼 - いしうす

〘noun〙① A mill made of stone. Used to grind or pound things. A millstone. By extension, it is used to refer to large, heavy, or unrefined things. [Wa-Tama-hen (late 15th century)]② = ishi-usugei (stone mill art) ※Essays and Various Opinions (1748) 2 "The criticism of the art of stone mills <abbreviated> For the things of the world, even a stone mill is not enough. One must know what it is mainly used for. It would be good if a specialist could give it his all."③ Someone who cannot swim. [Essay history] ( 1 ) While wooden and clay mills are used to grind rice, stone mills are mainly used for milling flour. They became popular around the Kamakura period. At that time, they were small and used for preparing paints and medicines, as well as for making tea.
(2) It was from the mid-Edo period onwards that mills became popular among the common people as flour grinders. They were far more efficient than traditional mortars , and were used to grind rice and wheat, as well as to make soba and tofu.

Source: The Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary About the Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary Information

Japanese:

〘名〙① 石でつくった臼。物をひき、またはつくのに用いる。ひき臼。転じて、大きいものや重いもの、品のないもののたとえに用いる。〔和玉篇（１５Ｃ後）〕② ＝いしうすげい（石臼芸）※随筆・異説まちまち（1748）二「石うす芸をそしれる事〈略〉世録のものは、石臼にても足りなむ。何事か主用に立べきもしらねばなり。専門の者は、其委くきはめんことこそあらまほしき」③ 泳げない者。[語誌](1)木製、土製の挽臼(ひきうす)が籾(もみ)すりに用いられるのに対し、石製の挽臼は主に製粉に使用される。鎌倉時代ごろから普及するようになる。当時のものは小形で、絵の具や薬剤の調製、また製茶などに使われていた。
(2)粉挽き臼として庶民の中に定着したのは江戸時代中期以降。従来の搗臼(つきうす)に比べはるかに能率がよく、米麦の製粉の他、そばや豆腐の製造にも用いられた。

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