粦 (lín) - Phosphorescence & will-o'-the-wisp

粦Tone 2

lín ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

林伦

粦 · lín

Phosphorescence;

will-o'-the-wisp;

ancient term for a phosphorescent light or ghostly flame.

Phosphorescencewill-o'-the-wispancient term for a phosphorescent light or ghostly

Usage highlights

Phosphorescent lightGhostly flamePhosphorusScaleAncient phosphorescence

Synonyms

  • 磷— phosphorus (modern chemical element)
  • 燐— variant form for phosphorescence
  • 鬼火— ghost fire; will-o'-the-wisp

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The marsh was said to be haunted by will-o'-the-wisps (鬼粦).
  • Ancient texts describe phosphorescent lights (粦火) appearing at night.
  • The character 粦 is used in the word for phosphorus (磷).

Collocations

  • Phosphorescent light(粦火)
  • Ghostly flame(鬼粦)
  • Phosphorus(磷)
  • Scale-like pattern(粦纹)
  • Ancient phosphorescence(古粦)

Idioms

  • Will-o'-the-wisp in the night(夜粦)
  • Ghost fire flickering(鬼粦闪烁)
  • Phosphorescent glow(粦光)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient Chinese folklore, 粦 was associated with ghostly lights or will-o'-the-wisps believed to be spirits of the dead.
  • The character appears in classical texts describing mysterious nocturnal lights in marshes and graveyards.
  • Scientifically, it relates to phosphorescence and appears in the modern character for phosphorus (磷).

FAQ