Word: 刻舟求剑 (kèzhōuqiújiàn) Traditional: 刻舟求劍 刻舟求剑 dictionary entry kèzhōuqiújiàn lit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped overboard (idiom) Full dictionary entry for 刻舟求剑 Example sentences using 刻舟求剑 2 sentences, showing page 1 of 1. 别刻舟求剑了，情况早就变了。 Bié kèzhōuqiújiàn le, qíngkuàng zǎojiù biànle. Stop clinging to outdated methods, because the situation changed long ago. 旧地图找新路，是刻舟求剑。 Jiù dìtú zhǎo xīn lù, shì kèzhōuqiújiàn. Using an old map to find a new road is futile, like marking the boat to find a lost sword.