⺌ is the flattened cap form of 小 used at the top of stacked characters. Three short strokes line up horizontally instead of clustering around a central hook, freeing vertical space for the rest of the character below. Never written alone.
history
Exact origin uncertain — ⺌ is best understood as a typographic flattening of 小 for top-position layout rather than an independent historical radical. Modern font systems encode it for CJK structural analysis; classical dictionaries usually fold it into 小 itself.
usage
Found atop characters in the small/fine semantic range or visually similar tops: 尖 (pointed), 尘 (dust), 少 (few — closely related), and the cap of 当 (modern), 光 (light). Treat the topper as a layout-shifted 小.
