Definition
抓手 has two distinct senses. In literal, technical contexts it means 'gripper' or 'mechanical hand' — a device that grabs objects. Far more common in modern Chinese (especially in government, business, and strategy writing) is the figurative sense: 'a key point to focus on' or 'a starting point for action', often used in the pattern 以……为抓手 ('to take … as the entry point'). This figurative meaning is culturally loaded and doesn't have a direct one-word English equivalent.
n
(figurative) key focusentry pointstarting point for action (used in 以…为抓手)(technical) grippermechanical hand
Examples
- 抓手，。Gōngsī yǐ jìshù chuàngxīn wéi zhuā shǒu, tuīdòng chǎnpǐn shēngjí.The company takes technological innovation as its key focus to drive product upgrades.
- 抓手。Zhège xiàngmù xūyào zhǎodào yí gè yǒuxiào de zhuā shǒu lái qǐdòng.This project needs to find an effective entry point to get started.
- 抓手。Jīqìrén shǒubì shàng de zhuā shǒu kěyǐ zhuāqǔ gè zhǒng língjiàn.The gripper on the robot arm can pick up various parts.
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