犴 (àn) - A legendary fierce dog & a wild dog

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àn ｜ 6 strokes ｜ radical: 犭

安傲

犴 · àn

A legendary fierce dog;

a wild dog;

also refers to a prison (in ancient texts).

A legendary fierce doga wild dogalso refers to a prison (in ancient texts).

Usage highlights

Fierce dogWild dogPrisonMythical beastAncient prison

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The ancient text mentions a fierce dog called 犴.
  • In some regions, 犴 refers to a type of wild dog (野犴).
  • The term 狴犴 (bì'àn) refers to a mythical beast and also a prison.

Collocations

  • Fierce dog(犴犬)
  • Wild dog(野犴)
  • Prison(狴犴)
  • Mythical beast(狴犴)
  • Ancient prison(犴狱)

Idioms

  • A prison gate(狴犴之门)
  • Like a fierce dog guarding(如犴守门)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese mythology, 犴 is a legendary fierce dog, often depicted as guarding.
  • The compound 狴犴 is one of the nine sons of the dragon in Chinese mythology, often depicted on prison gates.
  • In ancient texts, 犴 was used to refer to prisons, derived from the mythical beast's role as a guardian.

FAQ