毻 (tuò) - To molt & to shed feathers, skin, or hair

毻Tone 4

tuò ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

婷婉

毻 · tuò

To molt;

to shed feathers, skin, or hair;

to cast off old covering and grow new one.

To moltto shed feathers, skin, or hairto cast off old covering and grow new

Usage highlights

molt skinshed featherscast off shellsnake moltingbird moltingcicada molting

Synonyms

  • 蜕— to molt, to slough
  • 脱— to shed, to take off

Antonyms

  • 生— to grow, to be born
  • 长— to grow, to develop

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The snake molts its skin (蛇毻皮).
  • Birds shed their feathers (鸟毻毛).
  • The cicada sheds its exoskeleton (蝉毻壳).

Collocations

  • molt skin(毻皮)
  • shed feathers(毻毛)
  • cast off shell(毻壳)
  • snake molting(蛇毻)
  • bird molting(鸟毻)
  • cicada molting(蝉毻)

Idioms

  • Snake molting and cicada shedding(蛇毻蝉蜕)
  • Molting and transforming(毻变)
  • Feathers shed and wings grow(毻羽生翅)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Used in classical Chinese texts to describe the natural process of animals shedding outer coverings.
  • Associated with transformation and renewal in traditional Chinese natural philosophy.
  • Appears in medical and zoological contexts in historical Chinese texts.

FAQ