steelyard; beam balance
A traditional weighing device consisting of a graduated beam, a fulcrum, and a counterweight. Often seen in historical or market contexts.
In old markets, they weighed vegetables with a steelyard.
Standard kanji spelling using 竿 (pole).
Variant using 棹 (pole/shaft); less common than 竿秤.
Compound of 竿 (さお, pole) and 秤 (はかり, scales), referring to the pole-like beam of the steelyard.