铗 (jiá) - Tongs, pincers & sword

铗Tone 2

jiá ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

嘉健

铗 · jiá

Tongs, pincers;

sword;

ancient term for a type of long sword or weapon.

Tongs, pincersswordancient term for a type of long sword

Usage highlights

long swordiron tongsmetal pincersreturning the swordfire tongssword hilt

Synonyms

  • 钳— pincers, pliers, tongs
  • 剑— sword, double-edged blade

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The blacksmith used iron tongs (铁铗) to handle hot metal.
  • He carried a long sword (长铗) at his side.
  • In ancient texts, 铗 refers to a weapon (武器).
  • The metal pincers (金属铗) were essential for the workshop.

Collocations

  • long sword(长铗)
  • iron tongs(铁铗)
  • metal pincers(金属铗)
  • returning the sword(弹铗)
  • fire tongs(火铗)
  • sword hilt(铗柄)

Idioms

  • Feng Huang sings while returning the sword(冯驩弹铗)
  • Playing the sword and singing for fish(弹铗歌鱼)
  • Returning the sword to seek advancement(弹铗求通)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to a handle or hilt of a sword, later extended to mean the sword itself.
  • Appears in classical texts like 'Strategies of the Warring States' in the story of Feng Xuan who played his sword and sang to express dissatisfaction.
  • In metallurgy and blacksmithing, it denotes tongs or pincers used for handling hot objects.

FAQ