mow

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 刈 has four strokes; 刈る is read かる.
• Basic usage: It describes cutting growing plants to harvest or trim them, as when mowing grass or reaping rice.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• What is being cut
  • 刈る fits contexts of cutting growing grass or rice. Its range of objects is narrower than the general cutting verb 切る(きる).
• Reading an action noun
  • 稲刈り(いねかり) names rice harvesting. The ending of 刈る becomes り in the compound; the 刈り part of this compound is read かり.