绞
jiǎo · HSK 7
to twist
🧵 纟 silk thread + 交 jiāo cross — crossing threads to twist them; 交 also gives the jiǎo sound
The silk radical 纟 marks anything to do with thread or cord, and 交 (jiāo, to cross or intersect) supplies most of the sound. Strands crossing over each other is exactly what twisting, wringing, and even hanging by a rope all share.
绞 — silk radical 纟 + 交 (jiāo, cross/intersect)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The silk radical 纟 indicates the meaning relates to threads or cords, while 交 'cross/intersect' supplies both the sound (jiāo→jiǎo) and the idea of strands crossing. Original sense: to twist or braid cords together, extended to 'wring,' 'strangle,' and 'hang.'