About
牲 is a phono-semantic compound combining the semantic radical 牛 (ox, bovine) with the phonetic component 生, which also conveys the ideas of life, birth, or rawness, hinting at living creatures. Originally, the character referred to whole, living animals, principally cattle, sheep, and pigs, that were chosen and prepared to serve as offerings in ancestral and other religious sacrifices. Later, its meaning extended to encompass domestic livestock and draft animals in a broader sense, moving from a strictly ritual context to include any farm animals raised for agricultural labor or human consumption.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这些牲畜很可爱。
牲口在田里干活。
他牺牲了休息时间。
这些牲口需要充足的饲料。
为了保护牲畜，他们建了围栏。
牺牲个人利益有时是必要的。
在古代，祭祀要用三牲。
他的牺牲精神值得我们学习。
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