枳 (zhǐ) - Trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) & a bitter, inedible citrus fruit used in traditional

枳Tone 3

zhǐ ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

丈志

枳 · zhǐ

Trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata);

a bitter, inedible citrus fruit used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata)a bitter, inedible citrus fruit used in traditional

Usage highlights

Trifoliate orangeImmature trifoliate orange fruitMature trifoliate orange fruitTrifoliate orange rootstockBitter orangeTrifoliate orange hedge

Synonyms

  • 枸橘— trifoliate orange (alternative name)
  • 臭橘— stinky orange (colloquial name)

Antonyms

  • 橘— sweet orange (edible citrus)
  • 柑— mandarin orange (sweet citrus)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The trifoliate orange (枳) is used as rootstock for grafting citrus trees.
  • This medicine contains trifoliate orange fruit (枳实).
  • The immature fruit of the trifoliate orange (枳壳) is also used medicinally.
  • The orange is sweet, but the trifoliate orange is bitter (橘逾淮为枳).

Collocations

  • Trifoliate orange(枳)
  • Immature trifoliate orange fruit(枳实)
  • Mature trifoliate orange fruit(枳壳)
  • Trifoliate orange rootstock(枳砧)
  • Bitter orange(枳橙)
  • Trifoliate orange hedge(枳篱)

Idioms

  • The orange becomes a trifoliate orange when moved north of the Huai River(橘逾淮为枳)
  • Discussing trifoliate orange and talking about caltrop(论枳言棘)
  • Bitter as trifoliate orange(味如枳实)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, the trifoliate orange symbolizes bitterness and inedibility, often used metaphorically for something unpleasant or inferior.
  • The idiom '橘逾淮为枳' illustrates how environment can change the nature of things, derived from Yanzi's diplomatic wisdom in ancient texts.
  • Used in traditional Chinese medicine for its properties to regulate qi and resolve stagnation.

FAQ