镖
dart-like throwing weapon; goods sent under the protection of an armed escort
Closest English meanings
dart·bodyguard
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
The character 镖 joins the metal radical 金 with 票, “to dart or flash.” It first meant a steel-tipped dart or throwing weapon used in hunting and warfare. By the Ming and Qing dynasties the term gave rise to the 镖局, armed escort agencies that guarded merchants' silver along dangerous roads, making 镖 inseparable from the trade of the professional bodyguard.
Common words & phrases
- 保镖 bodyguard
- 飞镖 dart · throwing knife
- 镖局 security agency (old)
Read the story behind the character
Today 镖 lives on in 保镖, the bodyguard who shields a celebrity or official, and 飞镖, the darts thrown in pubs and competitions. The old 镖局 survives only in wuxia films and museum displays. Travelers still picture the hired guard riding beside a treasure cart, a vivid echo of a once-real profession of protective escort.
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