also: しっぺい
noun
Zen stick; wake-up stick
A flat bamboo stick used in Zen meditation to strike the shoulders of drowsy practitioners. Primarily a Buddhist term; the reading しっぺい is more common in this context.
坐禅中に眠そうな修行者に、師家がしっぺいで肩を打つ。
During zazen, the master strikes the shoulder of a drowsy practitioner with the shippei.
noun
flick on the wrist;
A playful or disciplinary gesture where one flicks the back of another's wrist with the index and middle fingers. Usually read しっぺ. Common in school or casual settings.
いたずらをしたら、友達にしっぺをされた。
When I played a prank, my friend gave me a flick on the wrist.
しっぺは痛いけど、けがはしない。
A shippe hurts but doesn't cause injury.
The word is of Japanese origin. The kanji 竹箆 and 竹篦 are ateji, using characters for 'bamboo' and a type of comb or spatula, reflecting the object's shape. The reading しっぺい may be a sound shift from an earlier form; the exact derivation is uncertain.