咥 (xì) - To bite & to gnaw

咥Tone 4

xì ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

咥 · xì

To bite;

to gnaw;

to laugh heartily (archaic usage);

to devour.

To biteto gnawto laugh heartily (archaic usage)

Usage highlights

to biteto gnawto devourto laugh heartilyto be bittenwolf's bite

Synonyms

  • 咬— to bite
  • 啃— to gnaw
  • 噬— to bite, devour

Antonyms

  • 吐— to spit out
  • 释— to release

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The dog will bite (咥) if provoked.
  • He laughed heartily (咥然大笑) at the joke.
  • Wolves can devour (咥食) their prey quickly.

Collocations

  • to bite(咥咬)
  • to gnaw(咥啃)
  • to devour(咥食)
  • to laugh heartily(咥笑)
  • to be bitten(被咥)
  • wolf's bite(狼咥)

Idioms

  • Laughing heartily without restraint(咥然而笑)
  • Bitten by a dog(为犬所咥)
  • The tiger devours its prey(虎咥其肉)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In classical Chinese texts, 咥 appears in descriptions of animal attacks and hearty laughter.
  • The character appears in the Book of Songs (诗经) with the meaning 'to laugh'.
  • Modern usage primarily retains the 'bite' meaning, while the 'laugh' meaning is archaic.

FAQ