鋏 (jiá) - Tongs, pincers, metal forceps & sword

鋏Tone 2

jiá ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

嘉健

鋏 · jiá

Tongs, pincers, metal forceps;

sword;

ancient weapon resembling scissors;

also refers to sword hilts or guards.

Tongs, pincers, metal forcepsswordancient weapon resembling scissors

Usage highlights

Iron tongsFire tongsSword tongsMetal pincersLongFeng Luan's sword

Synonyms

  • 钳— pincers, pliers, tongs
  • 镊— tweezers, forceps
  • 剑— sword (when 鋏 refers to sword)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The blacksmith used iron tongs (铁鋏) to handle the hot metal.
  • In ancient texts, 鋏 sometimes refers to a sword (剑鋏).
  • He carried a pair of fire tongs (火鋏) for the furnace.
  • The sword's hilt and guard are called 鋏 in some contexts.

Collocations

  • Iron tongs(铁鋏)
  • Fire tongs(火鋏)
  • Sword tongs(剑鋏)
  • Metal pincers(金鋏)
  • Long-handled tongs(长鋏)
  • Feng Luan's sword(冯驩弹鋏)

Idioms

  • Feng Luan's sword(冯驩弹鋏)
  • Long sword returning(长鋏归来)
  • Singing of the long sword(弹鋏而歌)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Appears in classical texts like 'Strategies of the Warring States' in the story of Feng Luan.
  • Originally referred to practical tools (tongs) but extended to weapons and sword parts.
  • The character embodies both utilitarian and martial aspects of ancient Chinese society.

FAQ