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As a phono-semantic compound, 枥 pairs the wood radical 木 (mù), indicating its material, with the phonetic component 历 (lì) on the right. Its traditional form 櫪 combines the same radical with the unsimplified phonetic component 歷. The character means a wooden manger or stable for horses. It became culturally enduring through classical poetry, most famously in a verse by the Han dynasty warlord Cao Cao, where an old warhorse by the manger symbolizes an aging hero who still clings to great ambitions.
Etymology Hide
