cut off, sever
截 centers on a decisive, forceful cut that separates or severs something completely.
截 combines 戈 (halberd, cutting weapon) with 隹 (bird) and 土 (earth), suggesting a bird cut down to the ground by a weapon. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the modern form visually conveys cutting or severing.
Picture a sharp halberd (戈) slicing through a bird (隹) and pinning it to the ground (土). The bird is cleanly cut off and severed.
For セツ, imagine a set of sharp blades cutting off a bird's flight: set -> セツ, and the severing action is quick and decisive.
direct; frank; straightforward; plain
lobotomy; leucotomy; frontal lobotomy; frontal leucotomy
to cut (e.g. cloth)
Jeet Kune Do (martial art founded by Bruce Lee)
cutting; severance; section; amputation; disconnection
pruning tree branches to encourage new growth
clear; sharp; distinct; distinctive
cutting off the head
cutting; cutting off; severing
plain and simple; straightforward
simple and plain; frank, direct and unambivalent; straightforward