狧 (tà) - To lick & to taste

狧Tone 4

tà ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

树檀

狧 · tà

To lick;

to taste;

to lap up (as a dog does);

archaic term for dog's licking behavior.

To lickto tasteto lap up (as a dog does)

Usage highlights

To lick foodTo taste cautiouslyDog lickingTo lap up liquidLicking woundsTo lick clean

Synonyms

  • 舔— to lick (modern common term)
  • 舐— to lick (literary term)

Antonyms

  • 吐— to spit out
  • 呕— to vomit

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The dog licked the bowl clean (狧食).
  • He tasted the medicine cautiously (狧尝).
  • Ancient texts describe dogs licking wounds (狧伤).

Collocations

  • To lick food(狧食)
  • To taste cautiously(狧尝)
  • Dog licking(犬狧)
  • To lap up liquid(狧饮)
  • Licking wounds(狧伤)
  • To lick clean(狧净)

Idioms

  • Like a dog licking boiling soup(如狧沸羹)
  • Licking sores and hemorrhoids(狧痈舐痔)
  • The dog licks and the pig wallows(犬狧豕蹢)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted a dog's licking action in classical Chinese texts.
  • Often used in historical medical contexts describing animal behavior.
  • Considered an archaic character rarely used in modern Chinese.

FAQ