报 (bào) — to report, to announce; to register, to sign up (as in 报名); to repay (a favor); to avenge (a wrong)

报 (bào) is a verb covering three main ideas: to report/announce (新闻, 报告), to register/sign up (报名), and to repay or avenge (报仇, 报答, 回报, 报复). It rarely stands alone — pair it with a noun like 名, 告, 仇, or 答 to form the specific meaning.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 報; 报 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 報 puts 㚔 (handcuffs) beside 𠬝 (to subdue), showing someone restrained and subdued, as in convicting or punishing a guilty person. The simplified 报 is a later shorthand.