Definitions

cuān to parboil; to boil; a kettle of hot water

Etymology phono-semantic

water

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

(cuān) is an associative compound, not a phono-semantic character, formed by placing (rù, "enter") directly over the water radical (shuǐ). This arrangement visually depicts putting something into water, and the character specifically denotes the culinary technique of quick-boiling: briefly plunging ingredients (typically meat or vegetables) into rapidly boiling water before immediately removing them.