Shen Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Grass (cǎo) 芟 Kangxi strokes: 10 Page 1019, Entry 17 Pronounced shan. According to the Shuowen Jiezi (Shuowen), it means to cut grass. In the Book of Odes (Shijing), Zhou Eulogies: They cut the grass, they clear the trees. In the Rites of Zhou (Zhouli), Earth Offices, Rice Official: For all marshlands where crops are grown, in summer use water to eliminate the weeds and cut them down. Also in the Discourses of the States (Guoyu): Plows, spades, flails, and scythes (shan). The commentary states: Shan is a large sickle used for cutting grass. Sometimes also written in a variant form (qian). In the Classified Dictionary (Leipian), it is pronounced chui. It is interchangeable with the form (wei), meaning the flowering of grass.