adverb:

• in groups of twos and threes; in small groups - four character idiom

noun / ~する noun:

• increase in sophistication; enhancement of functionality; increase in speed; upgrading

noun / ~の noun / adjectival noun:

• the defensive
• passive attitude; passivity; passiveness
• the passive; passive voice - Linguistics term
• ukemi (the art of falling safely) - Martial Arts term

expression:

• a few minutes; for a few minutes; for a number of minutes; for a period of a few minutes; for several minutes

noun:

• salt pan (used for boiling seawater to make salt)
• cooking a fish inside a salt crust - abbreviation ➜ 塩釜焼き
• candy made with a wrapping of sweetened rice flour (looking like a salt crust)

expression:

• all those interested (in the matter); all those willing; (from) all of us; (from) everyone concerned - four character idiom

ichidan verb:

• to carry in one's own hands; to carry in a manner that is obvious to others - colloquialism ➜ 提げる【さげる】

noun / ~する noun:

• softening Antonym: 硬化
• softening (of attitude); mollification Antonym: 硬化
• weakening (of the market) Antonym: 硬化
• blanching (e.g. of vegetables; by depriving of light)

adverb / ~と adverb / ~する noun:

• noisily (e.g. from many people talking); creating a commotion - onomatopoeia
• rustling (leaves) - onomatopoeia
• feeling a chill; getting the chills - onomatopoeia

expression:

• to only look the part (but otherwise be wholly unsuited for it); a monkey wearing a crown - idiom

noun:

• attending foreign language study at a school near the train station (esp. used as a NOVA catchphrase)

expression:

• temptation one can't resist; setting a wolf to mind the sheep; trusting a cat with milk - idiom

noun:

• peoples formerly of northern Japan with distinct language and culture (i.e. the Ainu) - archaism ➜ 蝦夷
• provincial (i.e. a person who lives far from the city)
• brutish, unsophisticated warrior (esp. used by Kyoto samurai to refer to samurai from eastern Japan)
• foreigner; barbarian - derogatory term

noun:

• lipstick that actors put on their earlobes, cheeks and corners of eyes
• lipstick discreetly put on the earlobes or the corners of the eyes (by women)

noun:

• Budget Committee (of the Upper and Lower Houses of the Diet)
• budget committee

noun:

• first sound of the year for an animal; first sound of the season - obscure term

noun:

• Song of Solomon (book of the Bible); Song of Songs; Canticle of Canticles

expression:

• to not see the wood for the trees; to be caught up with trivial matters and lose sight of the big picture - proverb

noun:

• book in Japanese
• book bound in the Japanese style ➜ 和本

noun / ~する noun:

• accumulation; retention; collection; sequestration (as in carbon dioxide sequestration); storage (usually a liquid, e.g. rainwater, or behind a dam.)

noun:

• making the numbers balance; fixing the numbers; number-juggling; making up the numbers (e.g. to form a majority); taking tally; number-crunching

expression:

• sacrifice something small in order to save something great; lose a leg to save one's life; let a large bug live and kill a small one [literal] - proverb

noun:

• character display (device); character-imaging device - IT term

adverb / ~と adverb:

• fiercely (e.g. of a fire burning) - onomatopoeia
• bong-bong (of clock ringing) - onomatopoeia
• with repeated bangs (e.g. of fire cracker) - onomatopoeia

noun:

• striking clock - abbreviation - onomatopoeia ➜ ぼんぼん時計
• green young man from a well-to-do family - Kansai dialect

expression / godan ~む verb:

• to make a dent in one's purse; to have to pay out of one's own pocket