竹

bamboo (any grass of subfamily Bambusoideae)

middle (of a three-tier ranking system)

bamboo grass; generally smaller species of running bamboo that do not shed their sheaths (e.g. Sasa spp.)

Martial arts

bamboo sword (for kendo); bamboo fencing stick

ちくとう only

bamboo sword

bamboo thicket; bamboo grove

Food, cooking

chikuwa; tube-shaped fish paste cake

firecracker

bamboo grove

container made by cutting a piece of bamboo lengthways; bamboo tube; bamboo cylinder

bamboo spear

bamboo shoot

Abbreviation

young, inexperienced doctor

green bamboo

bamboo skewer

bamboo fence (hedge)

bamboo sheath; bamboo peel

made of bamboo

bamboo pole

breaking bamboo

bamboo basket

bamboo grove

bamboo work; bamboo ware

pine, bamboo and plum (an auspicious grouping)

From 松 down to 梅

high, middle and low (ranking); top, middle and bottom; upper, medium, lower; first, second and third (class)

bamboo dealer; person selling bamboo or articles made of bamboo

house made of bamboo

walking stick (any insect of order Phasmatodea); walkingstick; stick insect; leaf insect

Buddhism

bamboo stick used to strike meditators into greater wakefulness (in Zen Buddhism)

Word usually written using kana alone; Esp. しっぺ

striking someone's wrist with one's index and middle finger