metal bit; metal mouthpiece; metal gag
Rare term for a metal bit or mouthpiece, such as used on a horse or as a restraint. Also used metaphorically for a metal gag.
In old documents, there are descriptions of putting a metal bit on a horse.
Rare, figurative use: money paid to keep someone quiet, likened to a metal gag that prevents speaking.
The expression 金轡をはめる means to give hush money.
Rare kanji spelling; the second character 轡 is uncommon.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling that is easier to read.
Compound of 金 (kana, 'metal') and 轡 (kutsuwa, 'bit'). The hush-money sense is a metaphorical extension: a metal bit gags a horse, just as money silences a person.