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掣肘

Mandarin · pinyin chè zhǒu

to hold sb back by the elbow; to impede; to hinder

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Characters in this entry

掣: chè · drag, pull; hinder by pulling back
肘: zhǒu · the elbow; help a person shoulder a load

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

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Mandarin tones

4–3 · che4 zhou3

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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.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zai3 zaau2

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

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

verb

(literary) to hold someone by the elbow
(figurative) to prevent someone from doing something; to hold back; to impede

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

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