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刀斧手

Mandarin · pinyin dāo fǔ shǒu

lictor

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Characters in this entry

刀: dāo · knife; old coin; measure
斧: fǔ · axe, hatchet; chop, hew
手: shǒu · hand

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

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Mandarin tones

1–3–3 · dao1 fu3 shou3

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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.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

dou1 fu2 sau2

Cantonese word readings for 刀斧手. 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.

noun

(archaic) executioner; headsman
(archaic) any (imperial) guard who carries a weapon

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

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