さお
竿

noun

  1. rod, pole.
  2. neck (of a shamisen, etc.), shamisen. Esp. 棹.
  3. beam (i.e. the crossbar of a balance).
  4. single line (esp. as a flying formation for geese).
  5. penis. Slang.

counter

  1. counter for flags (on poles), counter for long, thin Japanese sweets (e.g. yōkan).

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
さお
竿
 竿 さお ✔
さお
棹
 棹 さお

Contained Kanji Breakdown

pole, rod, scale beam
さお　カン (Kentei Pre-1)
bamboo
たけ　チク　たか (1st, N2)
individual, (個 variant)
knife, wrapping enclosure(勹) variant
feathered stick, barb radical (no. 6)
ケツ　かぎ (Kentei 1)
dry, parch, ebb
ひ.る　カン　ほ.す (6th, N2)