走卒 (zǒu zú) — a pawn; a lackey; a person used by others for their own purposes

Definition

A literary/classical term for a 'pawn' or 'lackey' — a low-level person manipulated by others. In modern use, figurehead or underling is the closest English match.

noun
a pawna lackeya person used by others for their own purposes

Examples

  • 走卒。
    Tā zhǐ shì bié rén shǒu zhōng de yí gè zǒu zú.
    He is just a pawn in someone else's hands.
  • 走卒。
    Zhè xiē zǒu zú gēn běn bù zhī dào zì jǐ zài zuò shén me.
    These pawns have no idea what they are doing.
  • 走卒。
    Tā bù xiǎng zài dāng bié rén de zǒu zú le.
    He doesn't want to be someone else's pawn anymore.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

走zǒurunning
卒zúsoldier

走 'running' and 卒 'soldier' mean a lowly runner or pawn.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The original shape showed a running man, with a foot added later.

Open 走 →

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

Early forms of 卒 drew a completed piece of clothing, with a mark showing it was to be folded.

Open 卒 →

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