Definitions
to amputate one or both feet (punishment in imperial China) (one of the five mutilating punishments 五刑[wǔ xíng])
About
The character "刖" originates from ancient Chinese legal contexts where it specifically denoted a punitive amputation of the foot. Its structure combines the radical 刂, representing a knife or cutting action, with the component 月, which in this character is associated with the affected limb. Over time, the meaning of "刖" narrowed exclusively to this form of corporal punishment, and it has since become an archaic term primarily encountered in historical or classical discussions rather than contemporary language.
Etymology Hide
