蟫 (yín) - Silverfish — a small, wingless insect that feeds & also known as bookworm or fish moth.

蟫Tone 2

yín ｜ 18 strokes ｜ radical:

懿嘤

蟫 · yín

Silverfish — a small, wingless insect that feeds on paper, book bindings, and starchy materials;

also known as bookworm or fish moth.

Silverfish — a small, wingless insect that feedsalso known as bookworm or fish moth.

Usage highlights

Silverfish insectBookwormSilverfish damagePaper silverfishClothing silverfishSilverfish infestation

Synonyms

  • 蠹鱼— Silverfish (alternative name)
  • 书虫— Bookworm (general term)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The library had a silverfish infestation (蟫虫 infestation).
  • Old books are vulnerable to bookworms (书蟫).
  • We found silverfish in the cardboard boxes (纸箱里的蟫).
  • The museum conservator identified silverfish damage (蟫害).

Collocations

  • Silverfish insect(蟫虫)
  • Bookworm(书蟫)
  • Silverfish damage(蟫害)
  • Paper silverfish(纸蟫)
  • Clothing silverfish(衣蟫)
  • Silverfish infestation(蟫患)

Idioms

  • Bookworm that eats characters(蠹书蟫)
  • Silverfish in the scroll case(蠹编蟫简)
  • Fish that transforms into a silverfish(蠹鱼化蟫)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, the silverfish symbolizes persistent, gradual consumption of knowledge through reading.
  • The character appears in classical texts describing pests that damage books and documents.
  • Sometimes used metaphorically to describe someone who reads extensively but without deep understanding.

FAQ