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铣 (xǐ or xiǎn), the simplified form of traditional 銑, is a phono-semantic compound: the metal radical 钅 (from 金) signals a metallic context, and 先 (xiān) provides the sound. In its earliest uses, the character described a lustrous metal or the polished sheen of cast iron and gold. In contemporary industrial usage, the meaning has entirely shifted to the machining process of milling, cutting metal with a rotary tool. It functions as a verb and also appears as a noun in compounds such as 铣床 (xǐchuáng), a milling machine.
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