杵 (chǔ) - A pestle & a club
杵 · chǔ
A pestle;
a club;
a stick used for pounding or beating;
to poke or prod with a stick.
A pestlea cluba stick used for pounding or beating
Usage highlights
Pestle and mortarWooden pestleIron pestleTo stand stillTo grind with a pestlePestle sound
Usage & contexts
Examples
- He used a wooden pestle to grind herbs (用药杵捣药).
- The old man leaned on his walking stick (拄着拐杖).
- Don't just stand there like a pestle (别杵在那儿).
Collocations
- Pestle and mortar(杵臼)
- Wooden pestle(木杵)
- Iron pestle(铁杵)
- To stand still(杵着)
- To grind with a pestle(杵药)
- Pestle sound(杵声)
Idioms
- An iron pestle can be ground down to a needle(铁杵磨成针)
- Pestle and mortar friendship(杵臼之交)
- Standing like a pestle(木杵而立)
Cultural background
FAQ- Traditionally used in Chinese medicine and food preparation for grinding herbs and grains.
- Appears in the famous proverb about perseverance: 'An iron pestle can be ground down to a needle'.
- In ancient times, pestles were essential tools in every household for food processing.