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The character 刈 functions as both an ideogrammatic and phono-semantic compound. The right-side knife radical 刂 signals the general idea of cutting. On the left, the component 乂 historically supplied the pronunciation and, through its crossed lines, visually reinforces the notion of shearing or mowing. The meaning is strictly agricultural: it refers to mowing grass, harvesting grain, or cutting down vegetation with a scythe or similar bladed tool. It does not extend to cutting other materials, such as wood or fabric.
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