枘
tenon; tool handle; wedge
Closest English meanings
tenon·axe handle
The Calligrapher — Lù Jiǎnzhī 陆柬之
Tang calligrapher and nephew of Yu Shinan; his running-script 'Essay on Literature' survives
Tang calligrapher (), master of running script — known for 《文赋》. Tang dynasty
Cultural Story
枘 is the tenon, the projection a carpenter cuts to fit a mortise — and the 楚辭 mocks a 方枘圆凿, a square tenon forced into a round hole, the misfit who cannot belong. The image outlived the tool. The character is the piece that should slot in and doesn't, the wood that refuses the shape offered it.
Common words & phrases
- 枘凿 square peg in round hole · incompatible
- 方枘圆凿 square peg round hole · mismatch
- 凿枘 fit · agree
Read the story behind the character
枘 is essentially a classical carpentry term and an idiom-part; you will not hear it alone. 方枘圆凿 survives as the phrase for any mismatch — the hire who doesn't fit the firm, the policy that clashes with reality. The character is a metaphor wearing a joiner's apron, useful only when paired with its hole.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Lù Jiǎnzhī 陆柬之, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.