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

蠹Tone 4

dù ｜ 24 strokes ｜ radical:

丁恩

蠹 · dù

Moth;

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

to bore through;

to corrupt;

a term for a corrupt official or harmful influence.

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

Usage highlights

BookwormCorrupt officialWoodHarm to the stateInsect damageMoth

Synonyms

  • 蛀— to bore; moth (more common for literal insect damage)
  • 虫— insect; worm (general term)

Antonyms

  • 益— benefit; beneficial (antonym to the harmful sense)
  • 护— protect; preserve (antonym to the destructive sense)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The old books were damaged by bookworms (蠹虫).
  • Termites are wood-boring insects (木蠹).
  • Corrupt officials who harm the state are called state moths (国蠹).
  • The wooden beams showed signs of insect damage (蠹蚀).

Collocations

  • Bookworm(蠹虫)
  • Corrupt official(禄蠹)
  • Wood-boring insect(木蠹)
  • Harm to the state(国蠹)
  • Insect damage(蠹蚀)
  • Moth-eaten(蠹朽)

Idioms

  • Moths in the beam—hidden danger(户枢不蠹)
  • A scholar hidden away, like a worm in a scroll(蠹简遗编)
  • Corrupt officials who feed off the state(禄蠹之辈)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Traditionally associated with the decay of knowledge and culture, as moths destroy books.
  • Used metaphorically in classical texts to describe corrupt officials who erode the state from within.
  • Appears in the idiom 'A rolling stone gathers no moss, a moving hinge gathers no worm' (流水不腐，户枢不蠹), emphasizing the importance of activity to prevent decay.

FAQ