Definitions

freezing; stopped up, closed off

Etymology phono-semantic

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

Denoting a state of extreme cold, the character refers to being completely frozen, congealed, or solidified by low temperatures. The radical (ice) on the left depicts ice crystals, signaling its semantic link to freezing conditions, winter, and the transformation of liquid to ice. On the right, functions as the phonetic component, together forming a phono-semantic compound commonly used in classical literature to evoke harsh winter scenes.