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The character 殛 pairs the death/bad radical 歹 on the left with the phonetic 亟 on the right, bringing a strong association with mortality and destruction. It is a formal, classical verb meaning to put to death or punish severely, often carrying the connotation of a righteous, state-sanctioned execution. This term is found predominantly in ancient historical texts and classical literature to describe the ultimate penalty inflicted upon rebels and criminals, and it is rarely used in modern colloquial speech, remaining a starkly formal literary word.
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