What 絡 means
絡 carries the ideas of winding, tangling, and connection. In Chinese it appears in 聯絡/联络 (contact), 網絡/网络 (network or internet), and 脈絡/脉络 (context); simplified Chinese writes 絡 as 络. In Japanese, 絡む means to get tangled or involved, and can also mean to pester someone.
What does 絡 mean when someone sends it alone?
A bare 絡 does not identify a complete word or intent. It could come from a Chinese compound or a Japanese word, so look at the surrounding words or sentence before deciding on a translation.
What does its early record show?
Its early written record is about materials. An early Chinese character dictionary, the Shuowen Jiezi, compiled 100–121 CE, glosses 絡 with words for fiber or floss and unretted hemp—hemp not yet soaked to separate its fibers. Later compounds extend the sense of winding strands to contact, networks, and context.
Its tone depends on the language and the word around it.
Japanese 絡む can mean pestering; do not assume friendly contact.
Don't confuse it with
1Combination ideas
3Questions people ask
1Why does 絡 show as a box on some devices?
Because that device's fonts have no glyph for it. The character is still correct and still copies correctly — the box is a missing glyph, not a broken character.
How to type 絡
絡\7D61Codes and encoding1 code points
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.