shield

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 盾 has 9 strokes and means a shield used to block attacks.
• Basic usage: 盾 is read たて, and 矛盾 is read むじゅん.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A shield and a contradiction
  • 盾で飛んできた矢を防いだ means blocked an incoming arrow with a shield.
  • 規則を盾にして figuratively means using the rules as a shield.
  • The 盾 in 矛盾 is read じゅん.
  • 前後で矛盾がある means the earlier and later parts contradict each other.