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砭

Mandarin · pinyin biān

ancient stone acupuncture needle
to criticize
to pierce

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砭: biān · stone probe; pierce; counsel

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

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Mandarin tones

1 · bian1

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1character link21same-tone records

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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 · 7 senses · 2 Cantonese readings

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

bin1 · bin2

Cantonese word readings for 砭. 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.

character

(traditional Chinese medicine) stone needle used in acupuncture
(traditional Chinese medicine) to stab with such a needle
to pierce
to treat; to cure
to counsel; advise
(literary) providing constructive criticisms and suggestions

character

(dialectal) mountain slope; hillside

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

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