串

串 U+4E32, 串 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4E32 ← 丱 [U+4E31] CJK Unified Ideographs 丳 → [U+4E33]

串 U+F905, 串 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F905 ← 滑 [U+F904] CJK Compatibility Ideographs 句 → [U+F906]

Stroke order

串 (Kangxi radical 2, 丨+6, 7 strokes, cangjie input 中中 (LL), four-corner 5000₆, composition ⿻吕丨)

• 𠳡, 𪭶, 梙, 𬊑, 𦀵, 賗(𬥸), 𠁷, 鋛, 𢖀, 𬵓, 𥣽, 𫡍, 𮦰, 𫡎, 𠁸, 𫡌, 𠁺, 𠁻, 𬟳, 𢈢, 𤶱, 窜, 𡮕, 𥭾, 𫔢, 𠁖, 患, 𤊌, 𫍁, 𨭳

Wikisource

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 80, character 2
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 80
• Dae Jaweon: page 162, character 3
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 30, character 2
• Unihan data for U+4E32

• Unihan data for U+F905

Pictogram (象形) – objects strung together.

simp. and trad.		串

Cognate with 穿 (OC *kʰljon, *kʰljons, “to pierce through; to wear”).

串

1. to string together; to link up
2. string; chain; series of objects

   • 昭陽宮裡梳妝閣上，有一雙黃金寶串，原是金聖宮手上帶戴。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     昭阳宫里梳妆阁上，有一双黄金宝串，原是金圣宫手上带戴。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wu Cheng'en, Journey to the West, 16^th century CE

     Zhāoyáng gōng lǐ shūzhuāng gé shàng, yǒu yī shuāng huángjīn bǎo chuàn, yuán shì Jīn shèng gōng shǒu shàng dài dài. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

3. skewer

   串燒／串烧  ―  chuànshāo  ―  food roasted on a skewer

   羊肉串  ―  yángròuchuàn  ―  mutton kebab

4. Classifier for strung, bunched or clustered objects.

   一串珠子  ―  yī chuàn zhūzǐ  ―  a string of beads

   一串鞭炮  ―  yī chuàn biānpào  ―  a string of firecrackers

   一串葡萄  ―  yī chuàn pútáo  ―  a bunch of grapes

5. to cross; to criss-cross; to traverse to; to mix (undesirably)
6. (literary, or in compounds) to gang up on; to conspire; to collaborate

   • 如今只消串出個人來嚇他一嚇，嚇出幾百兩銀子來，把丫頭白白送你做老婆。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     如今只消串出个人来吓他一吓，吓出几百两银子来，把丫头白白送你做老婆。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wu Jingzi, The Scholars, 1750 CE

     Rújīn zhǐ xiāo chuàn chū ge rén lái xià tā yī xià, xià chū jǐ bǎi liǎng yínzǐ lái, bǎ yātóu báibái sòng nǐ zuò lǎopó. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

7. to pay a visit to; to visit; to move about

   • 從小兒在東京時，只去行院人家串，那一箇行院不愛他！ [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     从小儿在东京时，只去行院人家串，那一个行院不爱他！ [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Shi Nai'an, Water Margin, circa 14^th century CE

     Cóng xiǎo'ér zài dōngjīng shí, zhǐ qù xíngyuàn rénjiā chuàn, nà yī gè xíngyuàn bù ài tā! [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

8. (literary, or in compounds) to play a role; to act; to perform

   客串  ―  kèchuàn  ―  to give a guest performance

   • 客於襪中出玉笛，隨聲便串，曲終笛止。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     客于袜中出玉笛，随声便串，曲终笛止。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1740 CE, Pu Songling, Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio

     Kè yú wà zhōng chū yù dí, suí shēng biàn chuàn, qū zhōng dí zhǐ. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

9. (chiefly Taiwan, Internet) thread
10. (Cantonese) to spell (a word in letters)

    你識唔識串自己個名啊？ [Cantonese, trad.]
    你识唔识串自己个名啊？ [Cantonese, simp.]

    nei⁵ sik¹ m⁴ sik¹ cyun³ zi⁶ gei² go³ meng^4-2 aa³? [Jyutping]

    Do you know how to spell your own name?

11. (Cantonese, slang) cocksure; arrogant; cocky

    Alternative form: 寸

12. (Cantonese, slang) to humiliate; to provoke

    Alternative form: 寸

• (bunch):

• (to mix):

• (to gang up on):

• (to pay a visit):

• (to play a role):

• (to walk about):

• (to spell):

• → Hong Kong English: inch (“cocky, etc.”) (semantic loan)

simp. and trad.		串
alternative forms		𰀁

Cognate with 貫 (OC *koːn, *koːns, “to penetrate”).

串

1. ^† to get close to; to fawn on; to be obsequious to; to curry favor with
2. ^† people on intimate terms
3. ^† habit; custom

   • 國法禁拾遺，惡民之串以無分得也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     国法禁拾遗，恶民之串以无分得也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Xunzi, c. 3^rd century BCE

     Guófǎ jìn shíyí, è mín zhī guàn yǐ wú fēn dé yě. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

4. ^† to joke; to banter

simp. and trad.		串

串

1. Used in 串夷.

   • 帝遷明德，串夷載路，天立厥配，受命既固。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     帝迁明德，串夷载路，天立厥配，受命既固。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Dì qiān míngdé, Huànyí zǎi lù, tiān lì jué pèi, shòumìng jì gù. [Pinyin]

     God having brought about the removal thither of this intelligent ruler,
     The Kwan hordes fled away.
     Heaven raised up a helpmeet for him,
     And the appointment he had received was made sure.

• “串”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[2], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

(Jōyō kanji)

From 串 (MC *tsyhwen, “skewer; traverse; visit; perform”):

• Go-on: せん (sen)
• Kan-on: せん (sen)
• Kun: くし (kushi, 串, Jōyō)、つらぬく (tsuranuku, 串く)

From 串 (MC kwaenH, “curry favor; custom, habit”):

• Go-on: けん (ken)^{←けん (ken, historical)←くゑん (kwen, ancient)}
• Kan-on: かん (kan)^{←くわん (kwan, historical)}
• Kun: なれる (nareru, 串れる)

Kanji in this term
串
くし Grade: S
kun'yomi

/kusi/ → /kuɕi/

From Old Japanese.^[1] Appears in the Nihon Shoki, finished CE 720.

Cognate with 櫛 (kushi, “comb”).^[2]

• (Tokyo) くし [kùshíꜜ] (Odaka – [2])^[3]
• IPA^(key): [kɯ̟ɕi]

串(くし) • (kushi) 

1. a skewer, spit

   Synonyms: 串刺し (kushizashi), 焼き串 (yakigushi)

2. any slender object that can pierce other objects, especially:
   1. (Shinto) Short for 玉串 (tamagushi): a branch of a 榊 (sakaki) tree used as a Shinto offering
      • c. 1120–1140, Konjaku Monogatarishū (book 24, story 51)

        其(そ)の御(ご)幣(へい)の串(くし)に書(かき)付(つけ)て奉(たてまつ)りたりける

        sono gohei no kushi ni kakitsukete tatematsuritarikeru

        That branch of streamers, written and presented...

   2. Short for 幕串 (makugushi): a post used to hang a curtain
3. a candle's wick

   Synonym: 芯 (shin)

串(くし) • (Kushi) 

1. a surname

Kanji in this term
串
くし Grade: S (ateji)
kun'yomi

Clipping of プロクシ, from English proxy; possibly reinforced by the idea of "going through". Kanji is an ateji (当て字).

串(くし) • (kushi) 

1. (slang, computing) a proxy server

   Synonyms: プロキシ (purokishi), プロクシ (purokushi), プロクシサーバー (purokushi sābā), 串鯖 (kushisaba, literally “skewer mackerel”)

   中(ちゅう)国(ごく)串(くし)

   Chūgoku kushi

   a Chinese proxy

• 串(くし)鯖(さば) (kushisaba, “proxy server”, literally “skewer mackerel”)

From Middle Chinese 串 (MC kwaenH).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	관〮 (Yale: kwán)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kwa̠n]
• Phonetic hangul: [관]

Wikisource

串 (eumhun 익힐 관 (ikhil gwan))

1. hanja form^? of 관 (“to become habituated to something”)

From Late Middle Chinese 串 (LMC *tʂʰyan^H).

串 (eumhun 꿰미 천 (kkwemi cheon))

1. hanja form^? of 천 (“string; chain; skewer”)
2. hanja form^? of 관 (“to string; to thread; to skewer”)
3. hanja form^? of 천 (“receipt”)

Misreading of Middle Chinese 丳 (MC tsrheanX).

串 (eumhun 꼬챙이 찬 (kkochaeng'i chan))

1. hanja form^? of 찬 (“skewer”)

   Synonym: 丳 (찬 (chan))

Related to Middle Korean 곶다〮 (Yale: kwòctá).

串 (eumhun 땅 이름 곶 (ttang ireum got))

1. hanja form^? of 곶 (“used as a suffix in placenames”)
2. hanja form^? of 곶 (“cape”)

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [3]

From Proto-Japonic *kusi.

Cognate with 櫛 (kusi, “comb”).^[1]

串 (kusi) (kana くし)

1. tine, stake, skewer: any slender object that can pierce other objects

• 串刺し (kusizasi)
• 澪標 (mi₁wotukusi)

• Japanese: 串 (kushi)

• 貫 (quán)^[1]

串: Hán Việt readings: quán (古(cổ)患(hoạn)切(thiết))^[2][1][3]
串: Nôm readings: xiên^[2], xuyên^[2], xuyến^[2], quán^[1]

1. chữ Hán form of quán (“to string an object”).