spear skill; spear thrust
Original meaning: skilled handling of a spear or the act of stabbing with one. Now largely historical or literary.
In classical martial arts, spear techniques were emphasized.
Standard kanji spelling.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling, sometimes used for clarity.
Katakana-kanji spelling; uncommon.
Compound of 槍 (spear) and 玉 (ball, bead). The original meaning referred to spear technique or a spear thrust. The modern sense 'scapegoat' likely derives from the image of someone being targeted like a spear thrust, but the exact semantic shift is uncertain.