cut, chop, hack
斲 centers on forceful separation with a blade: cutting, chopping, or hacking something apart.
斲 combines 斤 (axe) with a left component that likely represents an object being struck or cut. The exact historical development of the left side is uncertain, but the character is associated with cutting or chopping with an axe.
The right side 斤 is an axe. The left side looks like a block being hacked apart. Picture an axe chopping into a wooden block: 斲 means cut, chop, or hack.
For キュウ, imagine the axe making a sharp 'kyu' sound as it cuts into the wood: kyu -> キュウ, and the blade hacks clean through.