zanzhi

Z10A1N1Z10H4I1
/zænˈ(d)ʒi//t͡sæn-//-d͡ʒə/

noun

A form of torture, among the ancient Chinese, in which wooden sticks are placed around the victim's fingers and used to crush or break the fingers.

OriginChinese 拶指 →
Scrabble 27
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Meanings

nounzanzhi (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA form of torture, among the ancient Chinese, in which wooden sticks are placed around the victim's fingers and used to crush or break the fingers.

Origin

  1. Chinese拶指
  2. Englishzanzhi

Borrowed from Chinese 拶指, literally "finger compressing".

More words from Chinese

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

zanzhi. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zanzhi

MLA

“zanzhi.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zanzhi. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “zanzhi,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zanzhi.

Source: zanzhi on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.