爻こう

noun

yao; line in an I Ching trigram

Technical term in I Ching divination. Each trigram consists of three yao, which can be either yin (broken) or yang (solid). Often encountered in compound form 卦爻 (かこう).

See also: 卦

• 易えき経きょうでは、爻こうの組くみ合あわせで卦けが決きまる。

  In the I Ching, the combination of yao determines the trigram.

• この爻こうは陰いんを表あらわしている。

  This yao represents yin.