柝 (tuò) - To beat a wooden clapper & night watchman's clapper

柝Tone 4

tuò ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

婷婉

柝 · tuò

To beat a wooden clapper;

night watchman's clapper;

to crack or split.

To beat a wooden clappernight watchman's clapperto crack or split.

Usage highlights

Beat the clapperClapper soundNight watchman's clapperWooden clapperMetal clapperSound the night watch

Synonyms

  • 梆— Watchman's clapper
  • 更— Watch (period of night); to change watch

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The night watchman beats the clapper (击柝).
  • The sound of the wooden clapper echoed in the night (柝声).
  • The frost caused the wood to crack (木柝).

Collocations

  • Beat the clapper(击柝)
  • Clapper sound(柝声)
  • Night watchman's clapper(夜柝)
  • Wooden clapper(木柝)
  • Metal clapper(金柝)
  • Sound the night watch(鸣柝)

Idioms

  • Beat the clapper and patrol the night(击柝巡夜)
  • The sound of the clapper in the deep night(深宵柝声)
  • The cold moon and the urgent clapper(寒月急柝)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used as a night watchman's tool in ancient China to signal time and maintain security.
  • Appears in classical texts and poetry as a symbol of vigilance and the passage of night.

FAQ