The core meaning of the kanji 止 is "stop," "halt," "cease," or "end." It signifies an interruption or the termination of an action, process, or movement. It can also imply a state of being stationary or not moving.

・On-yomi (音読み): シ止 (shi) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): と止まる (to止maru - to stop), と止める (to止meru - to stop/halt something)

⚫︎禁止（きんし） Translation: Prohibition, ban ⚫︎中止（ちゅうし） Translation: Cancellation, suspension ⚫︎停止（ていし） Translation: Stop, halt, suspension

The kanji 止 is a pictograph. It depicts a foot, with the big toe pointed up, representing the act of stopping or ceasing movement. The vertical line represents the leg and the horizontal line at the top represents the foot. Over time, the form of the kanji became more stylized, but its essential meaning remained unchanged.