鱿 (yóu) — (bound form) squid

鱿 is a bound form meaning 'squid' — it never stands alone and always appears inside the food word 鱿鱼 (squid).

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 魷; 鱿 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 魷 uses 魚 to show it is a fish and 尤 to give its sound; the simplified 鱿 is a later shorthand.