杽
How to Say
How to Write
Meaning: a kind of wooden handcuffs
💡 Wood (木) plus ugly (丑) handcuffs? Ugly but true!
Compounds
Character Story & Explanation
The character 杽 (chǒu) is an ancient Chinese character referring to a type of wooden handcuffs used in early dynasties. It combines the wood radical 木 (mù) with 丑 (chǒu), which originally depicted a hand bound. Excavated from oracle bone inscriptions, 杽 reveals the harsh penal practices of the Shang and Zhou periods. Though obsolete today, it offers a glimpse into the evolution of legal punishment and the material culture of early China.
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
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