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笮 is a phono-semantic compound: the bamboo radical 竹 (zhú) at the top indicates bamboo or woven bamboo items, while 乍 (zhà) below serves as the phonetic. Historically, it referred to thick ropes, cables, or rigging braided from bamboo strips, a common material in ancient Chinese engineering for suspension bridges and mooring boats. With a different pronunciation, the character also functions as a verb meaning to press or squeeze liquid out, akin to traditional oil or wine making. Now largely obsolete, it survives mainly in historical engineering and classical texts.
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