The kanji 綱 generally means "rope," "cord," "cable," or "hawser." It refers to a strong, thick rope or cable used for various purposes, often for securing something or pulling/lifting heavy objects. This core meaning extends to metaphorical uses, representing connections, ties, or guidelines.

・On-yomi (音読み): こう (kō) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): つな (tsuna)

⚫︎ 綱引き Translation: Tug-of-war ⚫︎ 大綱 Translation: Main cable; main rope; main outline ⚫︎ 綱渡り Translation: Tightrope walking

The kanji 綱 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). The left side is a radical called 糸 (いと, ito), meaning "thread" or "silk." This gives a hint about the meaning, as rope is usually made of thread or fibers. The right side is 岡 (おか, oka), which originally depicted a hill or ridge. This part serves as the phonetic component, indicating the pronunciation of the kanji. The combination suggests a rope (糸) used on a hill or for something related to the land.