Definitions

dài tortoise shell; turtle
dài variant of 玳[dài]

Etymology phono-semantic

jade

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is used exclusively in the word 玳瑁, denoting the hawksbill sea turtle and the decorative tortoiseshell from its shell. Its structure combines the radical (jade, indicating a precious material) with the phonetic component (dài). The character never stands alone; it always appears with to refer to this luxury material crafted into small ornaments and jewelry.