矛 (máo) - spear, lance, pike & a weapon with a long shaft and pointed

矛Tone 2

máo ｜ 5 strokes ｜ radical: 矛

伦妙

矛 · máo

spear, lance, pike;

a weapon with a long shaft and pointed head used for thrusting or throwing.

spear, lance, pikea weapon with a long shaft and pointed

Usage highlights

spear and shieldspearheadlong spearbronze spearspear shaftthrowing spear

Synonyms

  • 枪— spear, lance
  • 戟— halberd, a combined spear and battle-ax

Antonyms

  • 盾— shield (direct antonym in the contradiction metaphor)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Ancient warriors used spears (矛) in battle.
  • This is a contradiction (矛盾).
  • The spearhead (矛头) was made of bronze.

Collocations

  • spear and shield(矛盾)
  • spearhead(矛头)
  • long spear(长矛)
  • bronze spear(青铜矛)
  • spear shaft(矛杆)
  • throwing spear(投矛)

Idioms

  • Contradiction(自相矛盾)
  • To contradict oneself(矛盾百出)
  • Irreconcilable conflict(势如矛戟)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • One of the earliest and most important weapons in ancient Chinese warfare.
  • Appears in the famous philosophical paradox 'spear and shield' (矛盾) from Han Feizi.
  • Used ceremonially in some traditional rituals and martial arts.

FAQ