The kanji 鎖鎖 primarily means "chain," "lock," or "to chain/lock." It represents a series of interconnected links, typically made of metal, used for fastening, securing, or connecting things. This core meaning extends to the idea of being bound, restricted, or confined.

・On-yomi (音読み): サ (sa) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): くさり (kusari)

⚫︎鎖国 Translation: National isolation (literally "chain country," referring to Japan's period of isolation) ⚫︎南京錠 Translation: Padlock (literally "Nanjing lock") ⚫︎鎖につながれた犬 Translation: A dog chained up

The kanji 鎖鎖 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side is a radical called 金 (かね - kin, meaning metal or gold) and it gives the character its semantic meaning, hinting at its association with metal. The right side is 𠂊 (さ - sa), which provides the phonetic component, indicating the pronunciation. Therefore, the kanji's structure suggests "metal + sound" and it signifies a "chain" which is made of metal.