撏 (xián) - To pluck & to pull out (feathers, hair)

撏Tone 2

xián ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

撏 · xián

To pluck;

to pull out (feathers, hair);

to extract;

to pick out.

To pluckto pull out (feathers, hair)to extract

Usage highlights

Pluck feathersPull out hairExtract essencePick out threadsPluck chickenPull out weeds

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Plucking chicken feathers (撏鸡毛).
  • Pulling out white hairs (撏白头发).
  • Extracting key information (撏取关键信息).
  • Pulling weeds from a garden (撏除园中杂草).

Collocations

  • Pluck feathers(撏毛)
  • Pull out hair(撏发)
  • Extract essence(撏取精华)
  • Pick out threads(撏线)
  • Pluck chicken(撏鸡)
  • Pull out weeds(撏草)

Idioms

  • Pull hair and pick seams(撏毛撏缝)
  • Pull out and pick apart(撏撏扯扯)
  • Pluck feathers and pull skin(撏毛拽皮)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to the action of plucking feathers or hair, often in food preparation or grooming contexts.
  • Extended metaphorically to mean extracting or selecting the essential parts from something.
  • Commonly used in dialectal expressions, particularly in Southern Chinese varieties.

FAQ