剜 (wān) - To gouge out & to scoop out

剜Tone 1

wān ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

婷婉

剜 · wān

To gouge out;

to scoop out;

to cut out (flesh, eyes, etc.

);

to remove by cutting.

To gouge outto scoop outto cut out (flesh, eyes, etc.)

Usage highlights

Gouge out fleshGouge out eyesCut out a tumorScoop out the bad partGouge flesh to patch a soreCut out the heart

Synonyms

  • 挖— to dig; to excavate
  • 剔— to pick out; to remove
  • 剐— to cut to pieces; to slice

Antonyms

  • 补— to mend; to patch
  • 植— to plant; to graft

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The surgeon had to excise the tumor (剜除肿瘤).
  • He gouged out the rotten part of the apple (剜掉苹果的烂处).
  • An ancient punishment was to gouge out eyes (剜眼).
  • She carefully scooped out the flesh of the melon (剜出瓜瓤).

Collocations

  • Gouge out flesh(剜肉)
  • Gouge out eyes(剜眼)
  • Cut out a tumor(剜除肿瘤)
  • Scoop out the bad part(剜掉坏的部分)
  • Gouge flesh to patch a sore(剜肉补疮)
  • Cut out the heart(剜心)

Idioms

  • Gouge flesh to patch a sore — a futile, stopgap measure that worsens the situation(剜肉补疮)
  • Gouge out the eyes — extreme punishment or cruelty(剜眼之刑)
  • Cut out the heart and carve the liver — to hate extremely(剜心刻肝)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically associated with brutal punishments and torture methods in imperial China.
  • Used metaphorically in idioms to describe desperate, self-harming remedies or extreme hatred.
  • The character appears in classical literature depicting violence or surgical procedures.

FAQ