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镢 is a phono-semantic compound: the metal radical 钅 (jīn) on the left indicates a metal tool, and the phonetic 厥 (jué) on the right provides the pronunciation. Traditional forms are 鐝 or 钁, both with the unsimplified metal radical 金 and complex phonetic elements. The character refers to a heavy agricultural hand tool, a pickaxe, mattock, or heavy hoe, used to break hard soil, dig trenches, and uproot tough vegetation. It is found especially in agricultural literature, rural speech, and historical farming descriptions, distinguishing this digging tool from lighter, flatter hoes meant for surface weeding and cultivation.
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