The kanji 盾 generally means "shield" or "defense." It represents a protective barrier used to deflect attacks. This core meaning extends to concepts of protection, safeguarding, and resistance.

・On-yomi (音読み): じゅん (jun) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): たて (tate)

⚫︎盾（たて） Translation: shield ⚫︎自衛（じえい）の盾（たて） Translation: shield of self-defense ⚫︎矛盾（むじゅん） Translation: contradiction (literally "spear and shield")

The kanji 盾 is a pictograph. It depicts a shield, showing a visual representation of a defensive tool. The top part of the character represents the shield's handle or the person holding the shield. The rest of the character illustrates the shield's shape, often with a curved or rounded bottom. This design emphasizes the shield's function of protecting against attacks.