契舟求剑 qìzhōuqiújiàn to act with stubbornness Origin Definitions Defs Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents 契 qì to carve (literary) to carve; to engrave舟 zhōu noun boat (bound form) boat; ship; vessel求 qiú verb to seek to look for or try to obtain something; to strive for剑 劍 jiàn noun sword traditional double-edged sword with a central ridge and a short handle