筊 (xiáo) - Jiao — bamboo strips used for divination & bamboo rope

筊Tone 2

xiáo ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

想信

筊 · xiáo

Jiao — bamboo strips used for divination;

bamboo rope;

also refers to a type of bamboo.

Jiao — bamboo strips used for divinationbamboo ropealso refers to a type of bamboo.

Usage highlights

Bamboo divination slipsBamboo ropeCasting bamboo lotsJiao bambooDivination blocksBamboo strips

Synonyms

  • 杯— cup (in divination context)
  • 卜— divination

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Ancient divination used bamboo slips (筊).
  • The bamboo rope was strong (竹筊).
  • They cast the bamboo lots (掷筊).
  • This type of bamboo is called jiao bamboo (筊竹).

Collocations

  • Bamboo divination slips(筊)
  • Bamboo rope(竹筊)
  • Casting bamboo lots(掷筊)
  • Jiao bamboo(筊竹)
  • Divination blocks(杯筊)
  • Bamboo strips(筊片)

Idioms

  • Casting the jiao blocks(掷筊问卜)
  • Bamboo divination(筊卜)
  • The jiao fell(筊落)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used in Chinese folk religion for divination practices, particularly in Taiwan and Southern China.
  • The character appears in ancient texts referring to bamboo implements and ropes.
  • In religious contexts, often used in pairs as throwing blocks to communicate with deities.

FAQ