historical time period; two-hour zodiac hour
Historical timekeeping term: one 刻 was typically about two modern hours and was associated with the twelve zodiac signs, as in 子の刻 or 丑の刻. Commonly encountered in historical writing, period drama, and set expressions rather than modern scheduling.
At the hour of the Ox, the castle gate was closed.
The hour of the Rat corresponds to around midnight today.
carving; engraving; cutting finely
Only when written 刻
Used mainly as a kanji or bound Sino-Japanese element for cutting, carving, or engraving. The English gloss also covers the related idea of cutting into small pieces, seen more naturally in forms such as 刻む.
The 刻 in words such as 彫刻 and 篆刻 expresses carving or engraving.
The verb 刻む, used for finely cutting vegetables in cooking, also belongs to this meaning of 刻.
Only when written 剋
Rare as an independent noun. The spelling 剋 is mainly seen in compounds with the sense of defeating, overcoming, or prevailing over someone or something.
The 剋 in 下剋上 expresses someone lower in rank overcoming someone above them.
A limited and old-fashioned morphemic use meaning harsh, severe, or cruel. It is more safely understood through compounds such as 刻薄 than as a freely used modern standalone noun.
The 刻 in 刻薄 is used with the meaning of being mercilessly harsh.
刻む is the common verb for carving, chopping finely, or marking time, sharing the kanji 刻 but read differently and used far more freely than the noun 刻.
克つ is a modern verb meaning to overcome or prevail, corresponding to the rare 剋 sense of 刻 but far easier for learners to recognize and use.
serious; severe; grave; acute
time; clock time; hour · favorable time; opportunity; chance
lateness; tardiness; arriving late
republication; reissue; reproduction
sculpture; carving; engraved work · carving; engraving; sculpting
engraved seal; inscribed seal · engraving; inscribing; stamping · brand; stamp of disgrace; reputation
immediately; at once; instantly
moment by moment; hour by hour; with each passing moment
evening; evening hour
Main attested spelling. Common as a kanji and in compounds, but several senses here are historical or bound rather than ordinary standalone nouns.
Attested alternate spelling. Especially relevant for the 'victory/overcoming' sense, as in compounds such as 下剋上; rare as a standalone written form.
こく is the Sino-Japanese reading associated with the kanji 刻 and 剋. It functions largely through historical terms and kanji-based compound elements; no precise historical derivation is asserted here.
appointed time; scheduled time
seal engraving
a short while ago; just now · already; long ago
reprinting; reprint
a moment; an instant; a short time · stubborn; obstinate
first third of a two-hour period
final third of a two-hour period
downcutting; downward erosion; vertical erosion
middle third of a two-hour period
the usual time; the regular time
lateral erosion
the present time; now
burin
carved characters; engraved letters; carving characters