About
The character 缒 (traditional form 縋) is a phono-semantic compound. The silk radical 纟 (sī) on the left provides its semantic category, relating to ropes or cords, while the right component 追 (zhuī) indicates its pronunciation. The character specifically means to lower someone or something down using a rope, as from a wall or cliff. In historical and military contexts, it often describes the tactical act of lowering messengers, soldiers, or supplies over city walls during a siege, serving as a precise term for rope-assisted vertical descent.
Etymology Hide
