expression:

• anything is better than nothing; kail spares bread; a bellyful is a bellyful, whether it be meat or drink; tea in the belly (will fill it) for a time [literal] - proverb

noun:

• desk pad; sheet of plastic (or cardboard, felt, etc.) placed under writing paper; underlay
• being pinned under; being caught under; being trapped under; being buried under; being crushed beneath
• model; pattern - often as 〜を下敷きにして

~する verb (spec.) / intransitive verb:

• to be contrary to; to be inconsistent with; to contradict ［反する］
• to act contrary to (rules or guidelines); to violate; to transgress ［反する］
• to oppose; to rebel; to revolt

godan ~む verb / intransitive verb:

• to finish; to end; to be completed
• to merely result in something less severe than expected
• to feel at ease
• to feel unease or guilt for troubling someone; to be sorry - in the negative ➜ すみません

expression / godan ~く verb:

• to distance oneself (from); to keep (something or someone) at a distance; to maintain a distance (from)

expression / godan ~る verb:

• to be attentive to small details
• to be attentive to others (or others' concerns)
• to have one's mind turn groundlessly to something negative

expression / ichidan verb:

• to raise one's hand or hands - usu. 手を挙げる
• to surrender - usu. 手を上げる
• to raise a hand to someone (as a threat to strike) - usu. 手を上げる
• to improve - usu. 手を上げる ➜ 腕を上げる

noun / ~する noun:

• decommissioning (of a nuclear reactor, furnace, incinerator etc.); decommissioned nuclear reactor (or furnace, incinerator, etc.)

noun:

• washing one's hands; water (or basin, etc.) for washing one's hands
• restroom; lavatory; toilet ➜ お手洗い
• hand-washing (laundry, etc.)

noun:

• lower part; foot; lower direction
• left part of the stage (audience's or camera's POV); stage right (actor's POV)

noun / ~する noun:

• committing suicide (to remonstrate or dissuade one's lord); preparing to die in an effort to dissuade one's lord

noun / ~する noun:

• cutting a fingernail (or toenail) to the quick; cutting a nail too close

noun:

• deep-set nail; deep-set part of nail

noun:

• large jewel; string of jewels - archaism
• Yasakani no Magatama (the grand jewel or string of jewels; one of the three Imperial regalia) ➜ 勾玉・三種の神器

expression / godan ~す verb:

• to turn inside out; to turn the other way; to turn (something) over ➜ 裏返す
• to look at it from another perspective - usu. as 裏を返せば
• to visit the same prostitute or geisha for a second time

ichidan verb / intransitive verb:

• to fall apart; to collapse; to become useless
• to be completely defeated (in battle); to be wiped out
• to fall apart (one's body or health) - archaism

noun:

• intermediate color; intermediate colour; neutral color or tint; neutral colour

noun:

• having an open hand and no end or honor tiles (yaku, not allowed in some rules); having only suited tiles between 2 and 8 inclusive and having called tiles - Mahjong term ➜ 断ヤオ九

noun:

• appointment or dismissal conjecturally reported in the media (esp. when the conjecture turned out to be wrong); announcement of an appointment that turns out to be mere press speculation - four character idiom

noun:

• first day of cherry blossoms reaching full bloom; first day in which at least 80% of the somei yoshino cherry blossom has opened (in a specific region or place)

expression / godan ~る verb:

• to get into the swing of (one's work); to hit one's stride
• (for a fish or bird) to put on fat for the winter

noun:

• draft; draught; cold air entering through the crack of a door or window
• cooling off of a relationship; draft of cold air between two persons

noun:

• alley; alleyway; lane ［路地・露路］
• bare earth (i.e. ground not covered by a roof); open field; outdoors (non-greenhouse cultivation of crops) ［露地］
• teahouse garden ［路地・露地］
• path through a gate (or through a garden, etc.)

noun:

• seeking one's own interests; straining (the interpretation or argument) to suit one's own interests; drawing water for one's own field - four character idiom

godan ~す verb:

• to question again; to repeat a question (esp. a problematic point, or to verify understanding); to repeat a query

expression / ichidan verb:

• to peak (at a given time or given group); to approach the peak; to come to a peak