About
The character 砭 (biān) is a classic phono-semantic compound, with the stone radical 石 on the left indicating its material nature and the phonetic 乏 (fá) on the right providing the pronunciation. Its original meaning is a specialized stone probe or needle used in traditional Chinese medicine to pierce or scrape the skin to treat ailments, predating the widespread adoption of metal acupuncture needles. Over time, the word came to refer not only to the physical instrument but also to the therapeutic action, and eventually developed a figurative meaning of sharp criticism intended to correct someone's faults.
Etymology Hide
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.