About
The character 镢 is a phono-semantic compound, with the metal radical 钅 (jīn) on the left indicating its association with metal tools, and the phonetic component 厥 (jué) on the right. Its traditional forms are 鐝 or 钁, which use the unsimplified radical 金 with more complex phonetic elements. It refers to a heavy agricultural hand tool, like a pickaxe or mattock, used for breaking hard soil, digging trenches, or uprooting tough vegetation. The term appears primarily in agricultural texts, rural speech, and historical farming descriptions, distinguishing this implement from lighter hoes used for surface weeding.