楯 (dùn) - Shield & railing

楯Tone 4

dùn ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

丁恩

楯 · dùn

Shield;

railing;

balustrade;

also used in classical texts as a variant for 盾 meaning shield.

Shieldrailingbalustrade

Usage highlights

ShieldBalustradeShield and spearShield bearerWooden shieldShield formation

Synonyms

  • 盾— shield (more common character for shield)
  • 栏— railing, fence

Antonyms

  • 矛— spear (offensive weapon vs defensive shield)
  • 攻— attack (vs defense)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The knight raised his shield (楯) in defense.
  • The balcony had an ornate wooden railing (栏楯).
  • In ancient texts, 楯 sometimes appears as a variant for shield (盾).
  • The museum displayed a collection of shields (干楯).

Collocations

  • Shield(楯)
  • Balustrade(栏楯)
  • Shield and spear(矛楯)
  • Shield bearer(执楯)
  • Wooden shield(木楯)
  • Shield formation(楯阵)

Idioms

  • Contradiction(自相矛盾)
  • Shield and spear(矛楯之说)
  • Shield wall defense(楯壁之守)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to wooden shields used in ancient Chinese warfare.
  • Later extended to mean railings and balustrades in architecture.
  • In classical texts, often used interchangeably with 盾 (shield).
  • Appears in historical military contexts describing defensive formations.

FAQ