hinge, pivot, door, center of things
枢 centers on a central point that enables movement or organization: a hinge or pivot that a door turns on, and by extension the critical center of any system or matter.
枢 combines 木 (tree/wood) with 区, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of a bounded area or division. Together they suggest a wooden part that divides or controls movement, such as a hinge or pivot.
The left side is a tree 木, and the right side 区 looks like a box with a cross inside. Imagine a wooden box with a central cross-shaped pivot that lets the door swing open: 枢 is the hinge at the center of things.
For スウ, picture a smooth wooden hinge that never squeaks: smooth -> スウ, and the pivot turns silently.
centre; center; pivot; mainstay; nucleus; hub; backbone; central figure; pillar; key person
cardinal (Catholic Church)
cavities in the frame of a door used as part of a pivot hinge
extensions on the top and bottom of a door that fit into cavities in the frame (as part of a pivot hinge)
pivot hinge (using extensions on the top and bottom of a door that fit into cavities in the frame)
axle; pivot
Privy Council (abolished in 1947)
Wernicke's area
central (nervous system)
central nerves
central nervous system; CNS
central nervous system
congenital central hypoventilation syndrome; CCHS
respiratory center; respiratory centre
vomiting center; area postrema; part of the brain that controls vomiting
Axis of Evil (Iran, Iraq and North Korea)
feeding center (of the brain)
state secrets
door (with a pivot hinge)
sliding wooden bolt (for holding a door or window shut)