About
A phono-semantic compound, the character 稂 pairs the grain radical 禾 on the left with the phonetic component 良 on the right. 禾 provides the semantic category of agriculture and plant life, while 良 suggests the pronunciation. It refers to a wild grass or weed that looks deceptively like healthy grain but yields no usable crop, and it commonly grows as a harmful intrusion in cultivated fields. Because of its agricultural meaning, 稂 often appears in classical texts to label unwanted weeds. Over time, this usage gave rise to a metaphorical sense in compound words, where it describes useless or harmful people who blend unnoticed into the general populace, like weeds among crops.
Etymology Hide
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.