About
The character 鐾 is formed by a top-to-bottom structure. The lower part is the radical 金 ('metal'), pointing to tools or metallic objects, while the upper part 辟 is a phonetic component that indicates the pronunciation. Its original meaning is the specialized technique of sharpening a blade by drawing it repeatedly across a leather strop, a cloth, or a sharpening stone, an action known as stropping to restore the cutting edge. Because this refers to a very particular sharpening method, the character is uncommon and mostly appears in contexts like barbering or traditional knife care.
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