蘗 (bò) - Bitter herb & medicinal plant

蘗Tone 4

bò ｜ 20 strokes ｜ radical:

傲不

蘗 · bò

Bitter herb;

medicinal plant;

specifically refers to the Chinese cork tree (Phellodendron amurense) whose bark is used in traditional Chinese medicine;

sprouts or shoots from a stump.

Bitter herbmedicinal plantspecifically refers to the Chinese cork tree (Phellodendron

Usage highlights

Chinese cork treecork tree barkmedicinal bitter barktree sproutsstump shootsherbal medicine

Synonyms

  • 黄柏— Chinese cork tree (alternative name)
  • 苦木— bitter wood
  • 药皮— medicinal bark

Antonyms

  • 甘— sweet
  • 甜— sweet-tasting

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The bitter bark is used in medicine (黄蘗).
  • New shoots grew from the old stump (蘗枝).
  • This herbal formula contains cork tree bark (含蘗的方剂).
  • The tree was cut but new growth emerged (伐木生蘗).

Collocations

  • Chinese cork tree(黄蘗)
  • cork tree bark(蘗皮)
  • medicinal bitter bark(苦蘗)
  • tree sprouts(蘗芽)
  • stump shoots(根蘗)
  • herbal medicine(蘗药)

Idioms

  • Like a tree stump producing new shoots(枯木生蘗)
  • Bitter as cork tree bark(苦如黄蘗)
  • Cut down but sprouting again(伐而复蘗)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Traditionally used in Chinese herbal medicine for its bitter properties and medicinal value.
  • In classical texts, often symbolizes resilience and regeneration as trees can sprout new growth from stumps.
  • The character appears in botanical and medical contexts rather than daily conversation.

FAQ