kangxi_radical #67,311

Meanings

  1. 1 stake; arrow tied with a retrieval cord (archaic, Kangxi #56)
  2. 2 indexing radical for a small group of weapon-related characters
  3. 3 to shoot (with corded arrow) — classical only

Tips

history
originally drew a small wooden stake; it was extended to mean an arrow attached to a silk cord, used to shoot at birds and reel them back. Modern Chinese has dropped this verb in everyday speech — you encounter mostly in classical texts and as a surname.
usage
As an indexing radical covers very few characters. The most common are (style, type) and (martial), where contributes the slanted stroke and a hint of weapon-related meaning.

Radical

Ceremonial Dart Kangxi #56

Pictograph of a short stake or a corded arrow used in fowling. Tiny radical class, but historically important: it sits in (model) and (martial). In modern use has no standalone verb meaning beyond literary references and personal names.

Used in

Showing 4 of 4 · default form 弋
shì
type; form; style · pattern; formula
shì
to murder one's superior · to kill (one's ruler, parent, or master)
èr
two (banker's anti-fraud numeral) · to betray; to be disloyal
dài
glycoside (old chemistry term, displaced by 苷)

Stroke Order