Japanese symbol for “tusk”
牙
きば
Romaji: kiba
tusk; fang
In Japanese, tusk is 牙, read きば (kiba).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n tusk; fang
Written forms: 牙. Readings: きば、き、キバ.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 象牙 | ぞうげ zouge | ivory |
| 牙城 | がじょう gajou | stronghold (esp. of an enemy or opponent); inner citadel; bastion |
| 毒牙 | どくが dokuga | poison fang |
| 歯牙 | しが shiga | teeth |
| 爪牙 | そうが souga | claws and fangs; claws and tusks |
| 牙買加 | ジャマイカ jamaika | Jamaica |
See also: Chinese symbol for “tusk”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.