About
The character 楝 combines the tree radical (木) on the left and the phonetic 柬 on the right. The radical marks a botanical term, while 柬 indicates the pronunciation. It names the Chinaberry tree, a deciduous tree with purplish flowers and poisonous yellow fruits, historically valued in traditional medicine and woodworking. Its meaning is strictly literal, referring only to this tree and having no abstract or metaphorical extensions.
Etymology Hide
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.