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粝 is a phonosemantic compound: the rice radical 米 on the left marks it as grain, while 厉 (simplified from 厲 in traditional 糲) provides the sound. It denotes coarse, unpolished grain, typically brown rice or grain that still has its bran layer. In classical texts, it was associated with poverty and frugality, often paired with other words for coarse food to describe military rations or a simple, unrefined diet.
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