甉 (xián) - Ridge tile & roof tile

甉Tone 2

xián ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

甉 · xián

Ridge tile;

roof tile;

also used in ancient texts to refer to a type of headdress or cap.

Ridge tileroof tilealso used in ancient texts to refer to

Usage highlights

Ridge tileRoof tileCeremonial headdressTile ridgeAncient tile

Synonyms

  • 瓦— tile (more general term)
  • 脊瓦— ridge tile (modern term)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The roof was covered with ridge tiles (甉瓦).
  • Ancient architecture used special tiles (甉) for roof ridges.
  • In historical texts, 甉 referred to a type of ceremonial headdress (甉冠).

Collocations

  • Ridge tile(甉瓦)
  • Roof tile(屋甉)
  • Ceremonial headdress(甉冠)
  • Tile ridge(甉脊)
  • Ancient tile(古甉)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Primarily an architectural term in classical Chinese, referring to specialized roof tiles used in traditional Chinese architecture.
  • Also appears in ancient texts describing ceremonial headgear, though this usage is much rarer.
  • The character is considered archaic and rarely appears in modern Chinese usage.

FAQ