What is the meaning of ?

the joining of things together, a join

patching, repairing a tear in cloth by sewing another piece of fabric over

: heir, successor

Short for 継歌 (tsugi-uta, sequential poem composition on a theme).

a connection, a move which supplements a cut point

stepmother; state of being a stepmother

step-; half- (related through only one parent)

Source: wiktionary.org