蛀 (zhù) - moth & termite

蛀Tone 4

zhù ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

志

蛀 · zhù

moth;

termite;

to bore through;

to eat into;

to decay;

used for insects that bore into wood, books, or teeth

mothtermiteto bore through

Usage highlights

tooth decay/cavitybookwormmothwoodwormtermite damagemothball

Synonyms

  • 蚀— to erode; to corrode
  • 腐— to rot; to decay

Antonyms

  • 固— solid; firm
  • 健— healthy; strong

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The books were damaged by bookworms (蛀书虫).
  • He has a cavity (蛀牙).
  • The wooden beam was eaten by termites (被白蚁蛀了).
  • Moth-eaten clothes(被虫蛀的衣服)

Collocations

  • tooth decay/cavity(蛀牙)
  • bookworm(蛀书虫)
  • moth-eaten(虫蛀)
  • woodworm(蛀木虫)
  • termite damage(白蚁蛀蚀)
  • mothball(防蛀丸)

Idioms

  • Moths gnaw at the beam — minor issues lead to major collapse(蛀众木折)
  • Moths bore through a boat — small leaks sink great ships(蛀船漏舟)
  • Worms in the belly — internal corruption(肚里蛀虫)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese medicine and folklore, '蛀' conditions like tooth decay were often attributed to 'tooth worms'.
  • The character appears in warnings about neglect, where small problems (like insect damage) can lead to major failures.
  • Used metaphorically in literature for corruption, decay, or insidious destruction from within.

FAQ