流窜 (liú cuàn) — to flee in all directions; to roam about (as a fugitive or criminal)

Definition

A formal/written verb meaning 'to flee and roam about' as a fugitive or criminal, scattering from place to place. Often used in police, military, or news reports about wanted suspects or armed groups on the run.

verb
to flee in all directionsto roam about (as a fugitive or criminal)

Examples

  • ，流窜。
    Fàn zuì tuán huǒ bèi jǐng fāng zhuī bǔ, sì chù liú cuàn.
    The criminal gang was hunted by the police and fled in all directions.
  • 流窜。
    Zhè xiē wǔ zhuāng fēn zǐ cháng qī zài biān jìng dì qū liú cuàn.
    These armed elements have been roaming about in the border area for a long time.
  • 流窜。
    Jǐng fāng yǐ jīng fēng suǒ le liú cuàn xián fàn kě néng jīng guò de lù xiàn.
    The police have sealed off the routes the fleeing suspect might take.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

流liúdrift
窜cuànflee

流 (drift) and 窜 (flee) combine to suggest roaming.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㐬
㐬㐬流liú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

流 has 水, water, and 㐬, which gives the sound. The water part matches meanings such as flow.

Open 流 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 竄; 窜 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 竄 shows 鼠 (mouse) in 穴 (hole), meaning a mouse hiding in a hole; the simplified 窜 is a later abbreviation.

Open 窜 →

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