The kanji 斗 primarily represents a measuring container, specifically a type of ladle or dipper used for measuring volume. It can also figuratively represent a measure or unit of capacity.

・On-yomi (音読み): ト (to) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): None, or rarely used as a stand-alone Kun-yomi.

⚫︎北斗七星 Translation: The Big Dipper (constellation) ⚫︎斗酒 Translation: A measure of sake (often used idiomatically to indicate a small amount) ⚫︎战斗 (in simplified Chinese, but encountered in Japanese as well) Translation: Battle, fight

The kanji 斗 is a pictograph. It depicts a dipper or ladle, a container with a handle used for scooping and measuring grains or liquids. The shape of the character directly reflects the form of this measuring instrument. The top of the character represents the bowl of the dipper, and the bottom stroke represents the handle. Over time, the form has evolved slightly, but the core meaning of a measuring container remains.