Definition
蚕食 is a literary verb meaning 'to nibble away at' or 'to encroach upon gradually'. Unlike the English 'nibble' which suggests trivial eating, 蚕食 most often describes a slow, piece-by-piece invasion or erosion in political, territorial, or economic contexts—like a silkworm eating a leaf bit by bit. You'll encounter it in formal writing and news reports; avoid using it for literal snacking.
v.
to nibble away atto encroach upon gradually
Examples
- 蚕食。Zhège guójiā tōngguò qiānyuē zhúbù cán shí lín guó de lǐngtǔ.This country nibbled away at its neighbor's territory through treaties.
- 蚕食。Dà gōngsī zhèngzài cán shí xiǎo qǐyè de shìchǎng fèn'é.Large companies are gradually eating into the market share of small businesses.
- 蚕食。Fēngshā rìfùyīrì de cán shí zhe zhè piàn gēngdì.The wind and sand nibbled away at this farmland day after day.
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