鸨 (bǎo) - bustard (a large ground-dwelling bird) & procuress, madam of a brothel

鸨Tone 3

bǎo ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

傲不

鸨 · bǎo

bustard (a large ground-dwelling bird);

procuress, madam of a brothel;

used in the term for the Chinese pangolin.

bustard (a large ground-dwelling bird)procuress, madam of a brothelused in the term for the Chinese pangolin.

Usage highlights

great bustardmadam of a brothelbustard birdbustard featherbustard speciesprocuress

Synonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The great bustard (大鸨) is a large bird found in grasslands.
  • In traditional literature, a madam was called an old bustard (老鸨).
  • The Chinese pangolin is sometimes called a scaly anteater (穿山甲, literally 'armor-clad bustard').

Collocations

  • great bustard(大鸨)
  • madam of a brothel(老鸨)
  • bustard bird(鸨鸟)
  • bustard feather(鸨羽)
  • bustard species(鸨科)
  • procuress(鸨母)

Idioms

  • Like a bustard running(鸨合狐绥)
  • The bustard's illicit union(鸨合)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The bustard bird is known for its mating habits where one female mates with multiple males, leading to its association with promiscuity.
  • In traditional Chinese society, the term was extended to refer to madams of brothels due to this perceived promiscuous nature.
  • The character appears in classical texts like the Book of Songs, one of China's oldest poetry collections.

FAQ