懂中文 Dong Chinese

塹

qiàn

moat

Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 斬 represents the sound.

Components
土 meaning component

土  Meaning component

tǔ

  

earth

斬 sound component

斬  Sound component

zhǎn

  

chop

Evolution

塹 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
塹 Seal script Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal script

Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
塹 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

堑 (塹) 

qiàn

moat, trench, pit, cavity; moat around a city

Most common words with 塹
Freq.
Word
Meaning

堑

moat around a city

路堑

(civil engineering) cutting (for a railway or highway)

地堑

trench, rift valley