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缒 (traditional 縋) is a phono-semantic compound: the silk radical 纟 (sī) on the left suggests ropes, cords, or tying, while 追 (zhuī) on the right indicates the pronunciation. The character means to lower someone or something by rope, typically from a height such as a wall or cliff. In historical and military texts, it frequently describes the tactical lowering of messengers, soldiers, or supplies over city walls during a siege, a specialized verb for rope-assisted vertical descent, not simple dropping.
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