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)