枢 means “pivot, hinge, center”

すう · suu

Also: door, center of things

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

とぼそ, からくり

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

スウ, シュ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 8 strokes

The story

Wood (木) beside 区, a box holding something tight: picture the wooden pivot a heavy temple door swings on. 枢 once meant a door's pivot, so the point everything turns on: 中枢 is the nerve center, and 枢軸国 were the Axis powers of World War II.

Used in 中枢 (chuusuu, center/core), 枢軸 (suujiku, axis/pivot), and 枢軸国 (suujikukoku, the Axis powers)

More from Roots & Foundations

• 芯 core
• 基 foundation
• 幹 trunk
• 源 source
• 拠 basis
• 盤 board
• 礎 cornerstone
• 軸 axis
• 概 outline

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.