稈Tone 3

gǎn ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

稈 · gǎn

Stalk;

stem;

the dry, hollow stem of a cereal plant such as rice or wheat.

Stalkstemthe dry, hollow stem of a cereal plant

Usage highlights

Rice stalkWheat stemStrawStalk of grainCorn stalkSorghum stalk

Synonyms

秆— stalk; stem (variant form)
秸— stalks left after threshing

Usage & contexts

Examples

Rice stalks (稻稈) are often used for animal feed.
The wheat stem (麦稈) is hollow and brittle.
They made crafts from dried straw (稈草).

Collocations

Rice stalk(稻稈)
Wheat stem(麦稈)
Straw(稈草)
Stalk of grain(禾稈)
Corn stalk(玉米稈)
Sorghum stalk(高粱稈)

Idioms

To rely on a slender stalk(倚靠草稈)
As brittle as a dry stalk(脆如枯稈)

Cultural background

Historically, stalks were a common byproduct of grain cultivation, used for fuel, fodder, and crafting.
In agricultural societies, the quality and quantity of stalks were indicators of a harvest's success.

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