2indexing radical for characters whose entry hook is a single dot
3classically also called zhǔ when referenced as a radical name
Tips
usage
丶 is the dot stroke (点) used as a radical slot. Almost no character is filed under it in everyday lookup, but it survives as the header for shapes like 丸, 丹, and 主 in traditional dictionaries.
history
Originally a punctuation mark used to break classical text, 丶 was repurposed as a radical and as the proto-form of 主 (master). The Xinhua entry notes its ancient role as a 句读 marker.
Radical
DotKangxi #3
The dot radical. A purely structural index slot covering characters whose top or interior is dominated by a single dot stroke (丸, 丹, 主, 义). Not used as an independent word; relevant only as a Kangxi lookup category and as a stroke name in writing instruction.
