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鏖 is a phono-semantic compound combining semantic 金 (jīn, 'metal; gold') at the bottom and phonetic 鹿 (lù, 'deer') on top. It originally denoted a type of copper or bronze warming vessel, or an apparatus for slowly cooking meat over a fire. Its meaning later shifted from these culinary roots to a fierce, bloody, prolonged battle or massacre involving heavy casualties. Today it appears primarily in 鏖战 (áozhàn), conveying a bitter, hard-fought, and unrelenting struggle in battle or intense competition.
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