盾 means “shield”

たて · tate

Also: escutcheon, pretext

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

たて

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ジュン

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 9 strokes

The story

A shield (the slanting top) raised in front of an eye (目): the Shuowen describes 盾 as guarding the body and screening the eyes. 盾 is a shield, a 後ろ盾 is a powerful backer behind you, and paired with the spear (矛) it makes 矛盾, contradiction.

Used in 盾 (tate, shield), 後ろ盾 (ushirodate, backing/patron), and 矛盾 (mujun, contradiction)

More from Arms & the Hunt

• 矛 spear
• 釣 fish (with a line)
• 狩 hunt
• 弓 bow (archery)
• 猟 hunting (game)
• 捉 grasp
• 斬 slash
• 餌 bait
• 弾 bullet
• 射 shoot
• 獲 catch
• 銃 gun

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