sword guard; tsuba
The hand guard on a Japanese sword, often decorative. Also used in compound terms like 鍔迫り合い (tsubazeriai, 'sword fight with guards locked').
この刀の鍔には美しい彫刻が施されている。
The guard of this sword has beautiful carvings.
Refers to the projecting edge of a hat or cap. Often used in phrases like 帽子の鍔 (boushi no tsuba).
brim (of a pot); flange; collar
The projecting rim or edge of a container, pipe, or similar object. Common in technical or everyday contexts.
鍋の鍔を持って運ぶと安定する。
It's stable to carry the pot by holding its brim.
The sun was strong, so I wore a wide-brimmed hat.
kin-tsuba (sweet); bean-jam cake shaped like a sword guard · metal sword guard; polearm
wide brim
sound of a sword guard stopping a blade
Standard kanji for sword guard and extended brim/flange meanings.
Variant kanji for sword guard; less common than 鍔.
Kana spelling is practical when the kanji is not needed or may be unfamiliar.
The word つば is native Japanese. The kanji 鍔 and 鐔 are Chinese characters adopted for their meaning related to sword fittings. The exact historical derivation of the word is uncertain.