腠 (còu) - The striae or interstices of the skin & the texture of the skin and muscles

腠Tone 4

còu ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

腠 · còu

The striae or interstices of the skin;

the texture of the skin and muscles;

the pores and tissue spaces through which vital energy (qi) circulates in traditional Chinese medicine.

The striae or interstices of the skinthe texture of the skin and musclesthe pores and tissue spaces through which vital

Usage highlights

Skin textureMuscle intersticesDense striaeLoose striaeRegulate the striaePathogen in the striae

Synonyms

  • 纹理— grain; texture; veins
  • 肌理— skin texture; muscle grain

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • In TCM, diseases can enter through the skin's interstices (腠理).
  • The acupuncturist assessed the patient's skin texture (腠理).
  • Proper sweating helps regulate the body's pores (腠理).

Collocations

  • Skin texture(腠理)
  • Muscle interstices(肌腠)
  • Dense striae(腠理致密)
  • Loose striae(腠理疏松)
  • Regulate the striae(调腠理)
  • Pathogen in the striae(邪在腠理)

Idioms

  • The interstices of the skin and muscles(腠理)
  • Disease enters through the striae(病入腠理)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Central concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine describing the spaces between skin and muscles where qi and blood circulate.
  • In TCM theory, external pathogens first attack the 'striae' before penetrating deeper into the body.
  • The character combines the flesh radical (月) with 奏, suggesting the idea of 'presenting' or 'arranging' the body's tissues.

FAQ