How to Write 檑 (léi) — Meaning “rolling log (weapon)”

Imagine a heavy wooden log (木) rolling down a hill, making a noise like thunder (雷). The combination of wood and thunder helps you recall that 檑 means a rolling log weapon used in ancient battles.

When writing the left radical 木, remember to change the final right-falling stroke into a dot, making it narrower. The right part 雷 has many strokes; pay special attention to the order of the 田 inside and the rain component above to keep the balance.

The right side of each character is different: 檑 has 雷 (thunder), while 槭 has 戚 (lament) and 槲 has 胡 (beard). Their meanings also differ: 檑 refers to a rolling log weapon, 槭 means maple tree, and 槲 means oak tree.

檑 is rarely used in daily conversation today; it appears mainly in historical texts or descriptions of ancient warfare. The common words 檑木 and 檑石 refer to logs and stones dropped from city walls as defensive weapons, a method famously used in ancient Chinese siege warfare.

Common words containing 檑 include: 檑木 (léi mù) — rolling logs (defensive weapon); 檑石 (léi shí) — rolling stones (defensive weapon); 滚檑 (gǔn léi) — rolling logs (ancient defensive weapon).