先端

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 先端 is read as せんたん and is a noun for the physical tip of something or, figuratively, the cutting edge of technology or research.
• Basic usage: A physical endpoint appears in 棒の先端, while advanced technology appears in 先端技術.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Tip and cutting edge
  • It can identify the literal tip of a pole or figuratively mark the most advanced level in a compound.
• Difference from 先
  • 先 broadly means ahead, first, or the part in front; 先端 specifically identifies a tip or a leading frontier.