蠧 (dù) - Moth & insect that bores into and eats books, clothing,

蠧Tone 4

dù ｜ 22 strokes ｜ radical:

丁恩

蠧 · dù

Moth;

insect that bores into and eats books, clothing, or wood;

to bore through;

to corrupt.

Mothinsect that bores into and eats books, clothing,to bore through

Usage highlights

BookwormMothCorrupt the stateWoodHarm the peopleGovernment corruption

Synonyms

  • 蛀— to bore through; moth
  • 蠹— variant form with same meaning

Antonyms

  • 护— to protect; preserve
  • 修— to repair; restore

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The book was damaged by bookworms (蠧鱼).
  • The wooden beam was eaten by insects (蠧虫).
  • Corrupt officials harm the state (蠧国害民).
  • The moth-eaten manuscript was barely readable (蠧简).

Collocations

  • Bookworm(蠧鱼)
  • Moth-eaten(蠧蚀)
  • Corrupt the state(蠧国)
  • Wood-boring insect(蠧虫)
  • Moth-damaged book(蠧简)
  • Harm the people(蠧民)

Idioms

  • Corrupt officials and harm to the people(蠧国害民)
  • Moths in the public service(社鼠城狐，吏蠧民蠹)
  • Erode like insects in wood(蠧众木折)
  • Bookworms and rotting silk(蠧简朽编)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Traditionally associated with damage to books and documents, symbolizing the decay of knowledge and culture.
  • Used metaphorically for corruption in government, where officials 'eat away' at the state like insects.
  • In Chinese literary tradition, the bookworm (蠧鱼) represents both a literal pest and a scholar who burrows deeply into texts.

FAQ