Definition
蛇头 literally means 'head of a snake', but in modern Chinese it's widely used as slang for a human smuggler — someone who organizes illegal border crossings. The slang sense comes from a vivid metaphor likening smugglers to snake heads leading people across borders. At HSK 7, the slang meaning is the one you're most likely to encounter in news or discussion.
n.
human smugglersnakehead (slang)head of a snake
Examples
- 蛇头。Jǐngfāng zhuā dào le yí gè shé.The police caught a snakehead (human smuggler).
- 蛇头。Zhè tiáo shé de shé shì sānjiǎo xíng de.This snake's head is triangular.
- 蛇头。Zhè zhǒng shé de shé shì lǜsè de.This kind of snake has a green head.
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