焠 (cuì) - To quench or temper (metal) & to dip into water

焠Tone 4

cuì ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

焠 · cuì

To quench or temper (metal);

to dip into water;

to harden by sudden cooling.

To quench or temper (metal)to dip into waterto harden by sudden cooling.

Usage highlights

Quenching fireTempering metalQuenching and forgingHardened by quenchingQuenching processQuenching steel

Synonyms

  • 淬— to quench, temper (more common variant)
  • 炼— to smelt, refine
  • 锻— to forge

Antonyms

  • 退火— annealing (softening process)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The blacksmith quenched the hot steel (焠火).
  • Ancient craftsmen used water to temper metal (焠炼).
  • The blade was hardened through quenching (焠硬).

Collocations

  • Quenching fire(焠火)
  • Tempering metal(焠炼)
  • Quenching and forging(焠锻)
  • Hardened by quenching(焠硬)
  • Quenching process(焠法)
  • Quenching steel(焠钢)

Idioms

  • Tempered through repeated trials(千锤百焠)
  • Forged in fire and quenched in water(火锻水焠)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Important in traditional Chinese metallurgy for creating durable tools and weapons.
  • Associated with the concept of strengthening through adversity in philosophical contexts.

FAQ