秣 (mò) - fodder, forage & to feed horses or livestock

秣Tone 4

mò ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

妙慕

秣 · mò

fodder, forage;

to feed horses or livestock;

to prepare provisions

fodder, forageto feed horses or livestockto prepare provisions

Usage highlights

feed the horsesfodder and provisionsprepare troops and horseshorse foddergrain and fodderfeed livestock

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 饥— hunger, starvation

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The soldiers fed their horses (秣马) before the battle.
  • Good fodder is essential for livestock (粮秣).
  • He was busy preparing provisions (秣兵) for the campaign.
  • The stable hand tended to the horses (秣马厉兵).

Collocations

  • feed the horses(秣马)
  • fodder and provisions(粮秣)
  • prepare troops and horses(秣兵厉马)
  • horse fodder(刍秣)
  • grain and fodder(粟秣)
  • feed livestock(秣畜)

Idioms

  • Feed the horses and sharpen the weapons(秣马厉兵)
  • Feed the horses and wait for the dawn(秣马以待)
  • Sharpening weapons and feeding horses(厉兵秣马)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to horse fodder, crucial in ancient warfare and transportation.
  • Associated with military preparation idioms like 秣马厉兵 meaning 'prepare for battle'.
  • Reflects the importance of livestock in traditional agricultural society.

FAQ