Chinese character 擷

It means picking or gathering something. In Chinese compounds, 採擷 means picking or gathering, while 擷取 means taking or selecting a part.

The Shuowen Jiezi, an early Chinese character dictionary, explains the older form 襭 as tucking a robe hem into a belt to carry things. 擷 is a variant written with the hand component. The verb also came to cover plucking plants and choosing something prized.

In Japanese, 擷取 is also a dictionary word for pinching up or taking something. Its Japanese reading is written けっしゅ in kana, the Japanese syllabic script, and differs from the Mandarin reading.