godan verb (-su), transitive verb
miss a killing blow; fail to kill with a blade
Used when a sword or blade strike fails to kill the target, often in historical or martial contexts. The verb is rare in modern everyday speech.
侍は敵を切り外し、すぐに次の太刀を振るった。
The samurai missed his killing blow on the enemy and immediately swung his next sword strike.
Standard kanji spelling.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; also common.
Compound of 切る (to cut) and 外す (to miss). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is formed from these two elements.