銼 (cuò) - File — a metal tool with a rough & to file or smooth down

銼Tone 4

cuò ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

銼 · cuò

File — a metal tool with a rough surface for smoothing or shaping objects;

to file or smooth down;

also refers to a type of traditional Chinese medicine tool.

File — a metal tool with a roughto file or smooth downalso refers to a type of traditional Chinese

Usage highlights

Metal fileTo file smoothFile toolWood fileMedicine fileFile surface

Synonyms

  • 锉— simplified form of 銼
  • 磨— to grind or polish
  • 削— to pare or whittle

Antonyms

  • 糙— rough, coarse
  • 粗— crude, rough

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He used a metal file to smooth the rough edge (用銼刀銼平粗糙的边缘).
  • This wood needs filing before painting (这块木头需要銼一下再上漆).
  • The carpenter sharpened the tool with a file (木匠用銼刀磨利工具).
  • Traditional Chinese medicine uses special files (中医使用特殊的药銼).

Collocations

  • Metal file(銼刀)
  • To file smooth(銼平)
  • File tool(銼具)
  • Wood file(木銼)
  • Medicine file(药銼)
  • File surface(銼面)

Idioms

  • To file and polish diligently(切磋琢磨)
  • To file away imperfections(銼去瑕疵)
  • File and grind to perfection(銼磨求精)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 銼 has been used in Chinese craftsmanship for millennia, particularly in metalworking and woodworking.
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, specialized files were used to prepare herbal medicines.
  • The character represents the concept of refinement and improvement through gradual effort.

FAQ