Origin

The character 錠 combines metal (金) on the left, which classifies it as something made of metal, with the component 定 on the right, which serves as a sound hint suggesting the pronunciation. The character originally depicted a metal fastening device or lock—something made of metal that holds things in place. The sound component 定 helps speakers remember roughly how to pronounce it. Over time, the meaning expanded to include shackles, chains, and other metal restraints, all of which are metallic devices used to bind or restrict.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Phono-semantic (meaning + sound hint).