The kanji 拘 primarily conveys the meaning of "to be arrested," "to be confined," "to hold," "to stick to," or "to be particular about." It implies a restriction, constraint, or a close adherence to something. It can also refer to holding onto something, either physically or metaphorically.

・On-yomi (音読み): コウ ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): かか（わる）, こだわ（る）

⚫︎拘束（こうそく） Translation: Restraint; confinement; restriction. ⚫︎拘留（こうりゅう） Translation: Detention; custody. ⚫︎拘泥（こうでい） Translation: To be particular about; to be concerned about.

The kanji 拘 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいもじ). The semantic component is the radical 手 (て, te), meaning "hand," and the phonetic component is 句 (く, ku), which gives the sound. The combination suggests the action of the hand holding or seizing something, thus leading to the meanings of "to restrain," "to confine," or "to seize."