also: しらは
drawn sword; naked blade
Refers to an unsheathed sword, often in dramatic or literary contexts. The reading しらは is rarer and carries a slightly more classical feel.
The enemy approached with drawn swords.
To pass under a naked blade (i.e., to face a life-threatening situation).
flash of a drawn sword; brandishing a sword
Standard kanji form; reading はくじん is the most common.
Alternate reading, less common and somewhat literary.
Compound of 白 (white, bare) and 刃 (blade), literally 'white blade', referring to the bare steel of an unsheathed sword.