齛 (xiè) - To chew & to gnaw

齛Tone 4

xiè ｜ 20 strokes ｜ radical:

想信

齛 · xiè

To chew;

to gnaw;

to nibble;

specifically refers to the chewing of cud by ruminant animals.

To chewto gnawto nibble

Usage highlights

Chewing cudChewing and swallowingRuminant chewingAnimal chewingRepeated chewing

Synonyms

  • 嚼— to chew
  • 啃— to gnaw
  • 啮— to gnaw, to bite

Antonyms

  • 吞— to swallow whole

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Cattle chew their cud (齛草).
  • The process of rumination involves chewing (齛嚼).
  • Ruminant animals have specialized stomachs for digestion after chewing (齛食).

Collocations

  • Chewing cud(齛草)
  • Chewing and swallowing(齛嚼)
  • Ruminant chewing(齛食)
  • Animal chewing(齛啮)
  • Repeated chewing(齛齛)

Idioms

  • None commonly used in modern Chinese

Cultural background

FAQ
  • This character appears in classical Chinese texts describing animal behavior.
  • Primarily used in veterinary or zoological contexts rather than everyday language.
  • The character is considered archaic and rarely appears in modern usage.

FAQ