噬 (shì) — (bound form) to bite, to gnaw (literary, used in compounds)
Definition
A literary bound form meaning 'to bite / gnaw' — it almost never stands alone. Use it in set words like 吞噬 ('devour') and 反噬 ('backlash'); for everyday 'bite' say 咬.
bound form
to biteto gnaw (literary, used in compounds)
Examples
- 。Zhè ge guài wu néng tūn shì yí qiè.This monster can devour everything.
- 噬。Lǎo shǔ zài shì yǎo mù tou.The mouse is gnawing on wood.
- 噬。Tā de xíng wéi zuì zhōng dǎo zhì fǎn shì.His behavior eventually backfired.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
筮
筮shì噬shì
Same sound today
噬 has 口, meaning mouth, and 筮, which provides the sound.
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