兕

sì

儿 + 凹

Definitions

sì a female rhinoceros

Etymology

About

兕 denotes a large, rhinoceros-like beast frequently mentioned in classical Chinese literature for its tough hide, once used to craft armor. Its modern form, a top resembling 凹 and a bottom 儿, is the product of centuries of graphic simplification, not a semantic combination of those elements. Early scripts depict an animal with prominent horns, setting it apart from bovines and other large mammals. Scholars have long debated whether it referred to an extinct native rhinoceros or a mythological creature, and today the character is largely confined to classical studies.