螙 (dù) - Insect-eaten, worm-eaten & decayed, rotten

螙Tone 4

dù ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

丁恩

螙 · dù

Insect-eaten, worm-eaten;

decayed, rotten;

to bore through;

variant form of 蠹.

Insect-eaten, worm-eatendecayed, rottento bore through

Usage highlights

InsectWormMothDecayed by insectsWorm holeBookworm damage

Synonyms

  • 蠹— moth; insect that eats into books, clothing, etc.; a bookworm
  • 蛀— to bore through; insect-eaten

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The wooden beams were insect-eaten (木梁被螙了).
  • Ancient books often suffer from worm damage (古书常遭螙害).
  • The term refers to decay caused by insects (这个词指虫螙造成的腐朽).

Collocations

  • Insect-eaten wood(螙木)
  • Worm-damaged books(螙书)
  • Moth-eaten(虫螙)
  • Decayed by insects(被螙)
  • Worm hole(螙孔)
  • Bookworm damage(书螙)

Idioms

  • Like a worm boring through a beam(如螙穿梁)
  • Worm-eaten and rat-gnawed(螙啮鼠啃)
  • Prevent decay by removing worms(除螙防朽)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 螙 is a variant form of 蠹, both depicting insects boring through wood or books.
  • Traditionally associated with the damage to books and wooden structures by insects.
  • In literary contexts, it metaphorically represents corruption or decay from within.

FAQ