伏

hideout (e.g. of fugitive from justice); hiding place

wandering samurai; soldier of fortune; brigand; mountain-dwelling robber

野伏／野臥 only

hermit; mountain ascetic; itinerant priest

remaining in obscurity

Common noun

lying down

Interjection; Dog command

down!; lie down!

abode of demons; hotbed (of graft); pandemonium

prostration

creeping; crawling; sneaking

Dentistry

impaction

symbol used in place of a censored word (e.g. blank, circle, X, asterisk)

Later printed as 〓

turn (in set-type proofing); upside-down character

lying concealed; being hidden

ambush

prostrating oneself in fear; kneeling in fear; crouching in fear; prostration

submission; surrender

shooting lying prone

Buddhism

preaching down; breaking down someone's false beliefs through confrontation (in order to convert them to the right faith)

overpower; subdue; keep down

being convinced

incubation period

persuasion

being so embarrassed as to keep one's face down

fire prevention (esp. by a divine power)

hibernation; staying home or in place

underground water

lying face down; lying on one's face; lying prostrate