刖

A technical term for a state-sanctioned penal sanction involving the amputation of one or both feet.

Functions as both a noun (the punishment itself) and a verb (the act of performing the amputation).

One of the "Five Punishments" (五刑), distinguished from other forms of permanent physical mutilation: 剕 (amputation of the nose), 宮 (castration), 斬 (beheading), and 墨 (tattooing/branding).

The term is literal and rarely carries metaphorical or abstract weight. The translator should look to the context to determine if the penalty involves one foot or both, as the glyph covers the general category of pedal amputation.