猴头 (hóu tóu) — hedgehog hydnum (edible mushroom); opium pipe (slang)

Definition

Literally 'monkey head', 猴头 is a name for a prized edible mushroom (hedgehog hydnum / Hericium erinaceus) whose shape resembles a monkey's head. The slang sense 'opium pipe' is rare and historical.

noun
hedgehog hydnum (edible mushroom)opium pipe (slang)
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 猴头。
    Zhè zhǒng hóu tóu shì yì zhǒng měi wèi de shí yòng jūn.
    This hedgehog hydnum is a delicious edible fungus.
  • 猴头。
    hóu tóu Duì cháng wèi yǒu hěn hǎo de bǎo jiàn zuò yòng.
    Hedgehog hydnum has good health benefits for the stomach and intestines.
  • 猴头。
    Tā zài gǔ dǒng diàn lǐ zhǎo dào le yí gè lǎo shì de hóu tóu.
    He found an old-style opium pipe at the antique shop.

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.

猴hóumonkey
头tóuhead

猴 names a monkey and 头 its head, so 猴头 gives a mushroom or pipe by its head-like shape.

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
犭Written in full as犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
侯
侯hóu猴hóu(r)
Same sound today

猴 pairs 犭, the animal part, with 侯, which gives the sound.

Open 猴 →

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 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
豆
豆dòu頭tóu
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.

Open 头 →

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