齿 (chǐ) — tooth; tooth-like object (in compounds); (literary, formal) age; (literary, formal) to mention, usually in the negative (不齿)
Definition
齿 (chǐ) is the written/formal version of 牙, almost always used inside compounds (齿轮 gear, 不齿 'beneath contempt'). The 'age' sense (年齿) is also literary.
bound form
toothtooth-like object (in compounds)(literary, formal) age(literary, formal) to mentionusually in the negative (不齿)
Examples
- 。Tā de yá chǐ hěn bái.Her teeth are very white.
- 。Zhè ge jī qì xū yào yòng chǐ lún lái yùn zhuǎn.This machine needs a gear to operate.
- 。Tā de xíng wéi lìng rén bù chǐ.His behavior is beneath contempt.
Origin
Pictograph六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíngA drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 齒; 齿 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 齒 originally drew a mouth full of teeth, and later gained a part that gives a clue to its sound. The simplified 齿 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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