also: むね
back of a sword
Refers to the blunt back edge of a sword blade, opposite the cutting edge. Used in discussions of swords, martial arts, and historical contexts.
See also: 棟 (むね)
There is a technique of striking the opponent with the back of the sword.
This sword has fine decorations even on the back of the blade.
Standard kanji form for the back of a sword. The reading とうはい is the regular on'yomi reading.
Gikun reading for 刀背, using the reading of 棟 (ridge/back). Rare and mostly encountered in specialized or historical contexts.
Compound of 刀 (sword) and 背 (back). The reading とうはい follows the regular on'yomi. The gikun reading むね is borrowed from 棟, which shares the meaning of 'ridge' or 'back'.