缌 (sī) - Fine linen & specifically a type of coarse, plain-woven silk used

缌Tone 1

sī ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

树檀

缌 · sī

Fine linen;

specifically a type of coarse, plain-woven silk used for mourning garments in ancient China.

Fine linenspecifically a type of coarse, plain-woven silk used

Usage highlights

Fine linen mourning clothesCoarse silk clothLight mourning garmentsLightest mourning gradeThreeMourning cap

Synonyms

  • 麻— hemp; general term for coarse mourning cloth

Antonyms

  • 斩衰— heaviest mourning grade (coarsest cloth)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The mourners wore fine linen garments (缌麻).
  • This is a type of coarse silk (缌布).
  • The mourning period was three months (缌服).
  • He wore the lightest grade of mourning clothes (缌衰).

Collocations

  • Fine linen mourning clothes(缌麻)
  • Coarse silk cloth(缌布)
  • Light mourning garments(缌服)
  • Lightest mourning grade(缌衰)
  • Three-month mourning period(缌亲)
  • Mourning cap(缌冠)

Idioms

  • The lightest mourning grade(缌麻之服)
  • Mourning for three months(缌麻三月)
  • Distant relatives requiring light mourning(缌麻之亲)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese mourning rites (五服), 缌 represented the lightest grade of mourning garments, worn for three months.
  • The 缌麻 grade was typically worn for distant relatives like great-great-grandparents or third cousins.
  • This character reflects the intricate social hierarchy and ritual precision of ancient Chinese Confucian mourning customs.

FAQ