The kanji 撲 primarily conveys the meaning of "to beat," "to strike," "to hit," or "to attack." It implies a forceful action, often involving physical contact. The core idea is an action of hitting something, whether it be a person, an object, or even an idea.

・On-yomi (音読み): ボク (boku) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): う（つ） (utsu)

⚫︎ 撲滅 (bokumetsu) Translation: eradication; extermination; destruction. ⚫︎ 撲殺 (bokusatsu) Translation: killing by beating. ⚫︎ 打撲 (daboku) Translation: bruise; contusion.

The kanji 撲 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字; keisei moji). ⚫︎ The phonetic component is 卜 (boku), which is the original character's shape. ⚫︎ The semantic component (also known as the radical or 部首; bushu) is 手 (te), meaning "hand." ⚫︎ The combination of these parts suggests that the action of hitting or striking is done with the hand.