Definitions

used in 囫圇|囫囵[hú lún]

Etymology phono-semantic

enclosure

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character is used almost exclusively in the compound 囫囵, which means whole, entire, or complete , unbroken and undivided. It is a phono-semantic compound: the outer radical , meaning enclosure, suggests an unbroken boundary or the idea of containing something entirely, while the inner component serves as the phonetic indicator. Since rarely occurs alone, its semantic value is tied to expressions that describe swallowing something whole or accepting information without critical analysis or breaking it down.