noun
rear gate; back entrance
Especially of a castle; contrasts with 大手 (front gate).
See also: 大手 (おおて)
城の搦め手からこっそり抜け出した。
I slipped out quietly through the castle's rear gate.
noun
Figurative use; the opponent's vulnerable spot, like attacking from the rear.
彼の搦め手は、甘いものに目がないことだ。
His weak point is that he has a sweet tooth.
noun
rear attack force
Archaic military term for troops attacking the rear of a castle.
See also: 大手 (おおて)
搦め手の軍勢が城の背後に回り込んだ。
The rear attack force circled around to the back of the castle.
noun
official in charge of imprisoning offenders
Archaic official title; historical use only.
江戸時代、搦め手は罪人を牢に送る役目を担った。
In the Edo period, the karame-te official was responsible for sending criminals to prison.
Variant spelling without the okurigana め.
Search-only kanji form; not a standard spelling.
大手 means front gate or main approach, while 搦め手 is the rear gate or back entrance; also used figuratively for strong vs. weak points.
Compound of 搦め (karame, 'binding' or 'entangling') + 手 (te, 'hand' or 'direction'). The exact derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning of a rear entrance or weak point.