Definitions

xiè see 獬豸[xiè zhì]

Etymology phono-semantic

animal

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 獬, structured with the beast radical 犭 on the left and the component 解 on the right, was created specifically for the term 獬豸, a mythical beast in Chinese lore. Its composition is semantic-phonetic, with the radical classifying it as an animal and 解 primarily indicating its pronunciation. Etymologically, the character has always been tied to this legendary creature, and its meaning has not expanded beyond this association, remaining exclusively used within that compound throughout its history.