DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

拷

Mandarin · pinyin kǎo

to beat
to flog
to examine under torture
(computing) to copy (abbr. for 拷貝 kǎo bèi)

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

拷: kǎo · torture and interrogate; hit

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

3 · kao3

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

1character link12same-tone records1source reference

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

拷 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 7 senses · 2 Cantonese readings

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

haau1 · haau2

Cantonese word readings for 拷. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character · Etymology 1

to interrogate, chiefly by torture; to extract confession
to beat up; to flog; to torture

character · Etymology 2

(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping) Clipping of 拷貝／拷贝 (kǎobèi, “to copy”).

character · Etymology 3

(Northern, Wu) to scoop up (liquids) into a container or utensil
(Northern, Wu) to buy (liquid products)
(Northern, Wu) to scoop out; to throw out (liquids)
(Northern, Wu) to lockstitch a border

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack