木 is a bound morpheme (b.f.) that rarely stands alone; it appears as the first or second element in compounds. Its core meaning is 'wood' or 'tree' (木头 mùtou 'wood', 木匠 mùjiang 'carpenter'), but it also extends metaphorically to 'numb' (麻木 mámù) and 'slow-witted' (木讷 mùnè). In describing fruit, 木 can mean 'hard' or 'tough' (e.g., 木梨 mùlí 'woody pear').