Senses
敲 to knock
to hit, strike, or tap; to beat a drum; to rap on a door or surface
敲 to overcharge
(colloquial) to fleece or rip someone off; to extort money; to blackmail, as in 敲竹杠
敲 to weigh
(literary) to ponder or weigh words; to deliberate, as used in the compound 推敲
敲 to criticize
(Mainland China colloquial) to criticize or alert someone in order to keep them level-headed
敲 short cane
(literary) a short wooden stick or cane used for striking