狝 (xiǎn) - To hunt in autumn & ancient term for autumn hunting or military exercises

狝Tone 3

xiǎn ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 犭

万响

狝 · xiǎn

To hunt in autumn;

ancient term for autumn hunting or military exercises;

to kill.

To hunt in autumnancient term for autumn hunting or military exercisesto kill.

Usage highlights

Autumn huntHunting and killingHunting expeditionImperial huntMilitary hunting exercise

Synonyms

  • 猎— to hunt (more common term)
  • 狩— hunting expedition

Antonyms

  • 生— life; to give birth (antonym to killing)
  • 养— to raise; to nurture (antonym to hunting/killing)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The autumn hunt (秋狝) was a royal tradition.
  • Military exercises were called hunting drills (狝狩).
  • He participated in the imperial hunt (狝猎).

Collocations

  • Autumn hunt(秋狝)
  • Hunting and killing(狝杀)
  • Hunting expedition(狝狩)
  • Imperial hunt(狝猎)
  • Military hunting exercise(狝武)

Idioms

  • Spring hunting and autumn hunting(春蒐秋狝)
  • The autumn hunt displays martial prowess(秋狝示武)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient China, seasonal hunts were important state rituals: spring hunt (春蒐), summer hunt (夏苗), autumn hunt (秋狝), winter hunt (冬狩).
  • Autumn hunts often doubled as military exercises to maintain combat readiness.
  • The character appears mainly in classical texts and historical records.

FAQ