Chinese character 俎

It names a raised board for presenting and cutting meat. In ancient Chinese rites, 俎 held sacrificial meat and food for formal banquets. Its board or stand had supports, a shape that also fits ordinary food preparation.

Recognizable forms appear in Shang–Zhou oracle-bone inscriptions (writing carved on animal bones and turtle shells) and bronze inscriptions. The early graph is generally understood as a supported board or stand, though no surviving object has been securely matched to it as of 2026-09-08.

In descriptions of ancient Chinese ritual service, 俎 appears with 豆, 匕, 鼎, and 簋: the set brought together tools and vessels for preparing and presenting food.

What does 俎 mean in a phrase?

The language and surrounding compound decide. Alone, 俎 is a rare written character, so it does not identify a fixed everyday message. In Chinese, 俎豆 points to ritual observance or formal etiquette; Japanese 俎板 points to a kitchen cutting board.

The board also gives Chinese compounds a sharper metaphor. 刀俎 evokes the knives-and-board side of a confrontation; 俎上肉 casts a person or state as meat at someone else’s mercy.