械斗 (xiè dǒu) — (noun) armed fight between two groups, often involving weapons like knives or clubs; (verb) to engage in an armed fight between groups

Definition

A violent, weapons-based clash between two rival groups (villages, gangs, factions) — not a one-on-one fight. 械 refers to the weapons/tools used, signaling organized group violence rather than a brawl.

noun
armed fight between two groups, often involving weapons like knives or clubs
verb
to engage in an armed fight between groups

Examples

  • 械斗。
    Lì shǐ shàng zhè ge cūn zi céng yǔ lín cūn fā shēng guò yí cì yán zhòng de xiè dǒu.
    Historically, this village once had a serious armed fight with the neighboring village.
  • ，械斗。
    Jǐng fāng xùn sù gǎn dào xiàn chǎng, zhì zhǐ le zhè chǎng xiè dǒu.
    The police quickly arrived at the scene and stopped this armed fight.
  • 械斗。
    Cān yù xiè dǒu de rén yuán dōu shòu dào le fǎ lǜ de yán chéng.
    All those who participated in the armed fight were severely punished by law.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

械xièweapons
斗dòufight

械 means weapons and 斗 means fight, so it is a fight with weapons.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
戒
戒jiè械xiè
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

械 pairs 木, meaning wood, with 戒 for sound. The early sense was handcuffs or shackles, later extended to devices.

Open 械 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 斗 originally showed a ladle-shaped dipper or cup used to measure grain, held in a hand.

Open 斗 →

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