挺

挺 icon

straighten

挺 is composed of the radical 手 (hand) and 廷 (palace courtyard). 廷 conveys the idea of a person standing on an earthen mound in an open space. The hand can straighten something that is bent. Therefore, 挺 is used to mean to straighten, to stiffen, or to stand upright.

Vocabulary of 挺

  • 挺身 (straighten one's back)
  • 挺進 (advance)
  • 挺拔 (tall and straight)

Related Characters: