围猎 (wéi liè) — to hunt (animals) by surrounding and driving th…

Definition

Literally 'surround-hunt': hunters encircle prey and drive it in. Figuratively used for ganging up on a person in online pile-ons or public attacks.

verb

to hunt (animals) by surrounding and driving them(figurative) to gang up on or collectively attack

围猎。
Gǔ dài liè rén cháng yòng wéi liè de fāng fǎ bǔ zhuō dà xíng liè wù.
Ancient hunters often used the method of surround hunting to catch large prey.
围猎，。
Zhè cì wéi liè huó dòng yǒu sān bǎi rén cān yù, fù gài le zhěng piàn sēn lín.
Three hundred people took part in this surround hunt, covering the entire forest.
围猎，。
Tā zài wǎng shàng bèi è yì wéi liè, zāo dào le dà liàng gōng jī.
He was maliciously ganged up on online and suffered a lot of attacks.

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.

围wéisurround

围 (surround) describes how 猎 (hunt) is carried out, giving the idea of hunting by encircling.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 圍; 围 is its simplified writing.

囗韋圍

Meaning part形符xíngfú

囗囗wéienclosure

Sound part声符shēngfú

韋

韋wéi圍wéi

Same sound today

The traditional form 圍 pairs 囗 (enclosure) with 韋, which gives the sound; 围 is the simplified form of 圍.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

昔

昔xī猎liè

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 猎, the left part 犬 means dog and the right part 昔 provides the sound.