Definitions

ruò cuticle of bamboo plant

Etymology

About

is a botanical term referring to a bamboo with broad leaves, or its cuticle. It is formed as a phono-semantic compound: the radical (bamboo) tops the character, classifying it as a plant, while (weak) below supplies the sound. Historically, these broad leaves were harvested for weaving traditional wide-brimmed hats and protective boat coverings. The character is a common variant of , which shares the same pronunciation and meaning but employs a different phonetic component.