アイス

See also: あいす and あいず

Japanese

Etymology

Borrowed from English ice.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ア​イス [áꜜìsù] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [a̠isɨᵝ]

Noun

アイス • (aisu) 

1. ice

   Synonyms: 氷 (kōri), 氷 (hi)

2. sorbet, ice pop; ice cream

   Synonyms: (uncommon) 氷菓子 (kōrigashi), (uncommon) 氷菓 (hyōka)

3. (slang, archaic, c. mid-late Meiji period) loan shark, usurer

   Synonym: 高利貸し (kōrigashi)

Usage notes

In the sense of usurer, this word emerged as a play on words, as 高利貸し (kōrigashi, “usurer”, literally “high-interest lender”) and 氷菓子 (kōrigashi, “ice pop”, literally “frozen dessert”) have the same readings. This led to usurers being referred to as アイスキャンディー (aisukyandī, “ice pop”, literally “ice candy”), shortened to just アイス (aisu).