蟊 (máo) - A pest that eats the roots of crops & a harmful insect

蟊Tone 2

máo ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

伦妙

蟊 · máo

A pest that eats the roots of crops;

a harmful insect;

a destructive person.

A pest that eats the roots of cropsa harmful insecta destructive person.

Usage highlights

harmful insectcrop pestsocial parasiteroottraitorous official

Synonyms

  • 害虫— harmful insect
  • 蠹虫— bookworm; destructive person

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The farmer worried about root-eating pests (蟊贼) in his fields.
  • This insect is damaging the crops (蟊虫).
  • He was called a social parasite (民蟊).

Collocations

  • harmful insect(蟊贼)
  • crop pest(蟊虫)
  • social parasite(民蟊)
  • root-eating pest(根蟊)
  • traitorous official(奸蟊)

Idioms

  • Evil pests and thieves(蟊贼奸宄)
  • Eliminate the pests and weeds(去蟊除莠)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient agricultural society, 蟊 represented one of the most destructive pests that attacked crops at the root level.
  • The character was often used metaphorically to describe corrupt officials or traitors who undermined the state from within.
  • Appears in classical texts like the Book of Songs as a symbol of destruction and harm.

FAQ