About
The character 剐 (guǎ), the simplified form of 剮, is a phono-semantic compound. Its phonetic component 呙 (traditionally written as 咼) is on the left, while the right side features the semantic radical 刂 (the standing knife radical), indicating an action related to cutting. Its core meaning is to scrape or slice flesh from bone. Historically, it was most infamously used in the term língchí or qiāndāowànguǎ, referring to the punishment of death by a thousand cuts. In modern usage, it commonly describes a vehicle accidentally scraping against another object.