碓: mortar (for pounding grain)

mortar (for pounding grain); in place names

13 strokesNames & literary · Name kanji (準1級 range)in 2 words here

Readings

カク・タイ

Kun

たしか・かくたる

Another way to write うす (mortar), now mostly met in the place name 碓氷, as in 碓氷峠.

碓氷峠うすいとうげUsui Pass

碓うすmortar (variant of 臼)

水碓みずうすwater-powered mortar

秋あきになると、碓氷峠うすいとうげは紅葉こうようを見に来みにくる人ひとで混こみ合あう。

In autumn, Usui Pass gets crowded with people who come to see the autumn leaves.

昔むかしの農家のうかでは、碓うすで穀物こくもつをついて粉こなにしていた。

In farmhouses long ago, people pounded grain into flour in a mortar.

谷川たにがわの流ながれで動うごく水碓みずうすが、山やまあいの村むらで米こめをついていた。

A water-powered mortar driven by the mountain stream pounded rice in the village among the hills.