齩 (yǎo) - To bite & to gnaw

齩Tone 3

yǎo ｜ 21 strokes ｜ radical:

嬿一

齩 · yǎo

To bite;

to gnaw;

to chew on something hard.

To biteto gnawto chew on something hard.

Usage highlights

Bite the bulletGnaw on a boneBite tightlyBite and chewBite throughGrit one's teeth

Synonyms

  • 咬— to bite (modern standard form)
  • 啃— to gnaw
  • 噬— to bite, to devour

Antonyms

  • 吐— to spit out
  • 放— to release, to let go

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The dog bit the bone (狗齩骨头).
  • He gritted his teeth in pain (他齩牙忍痛).
  • The rat gnawed through the wood (老鼠齩穿了木头).

Collocations

  • Bite the bullet(齩牙关)
  • Gnaw on a bone(齩骨头)
  • Bite tightly(齩紧)
  • Bite and chew(齩嚼)
  • Bite through(齩穿)
  • Grit one's teeth(齩牙)

Idioms

  • Bite the bullet and persevere(齩牙切齿)
  • Gnaw at one's heart(齩噬心灵)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • This character is an older, variant form of the more common modern character 咬 (yǎo).
  • It appears in classical texts and historical documents, representing the action of biting with force.
  • The complex structure reflects its ancient origin in Chinese script evolution.

FAQ