The word "翘楚" is formed by combining the character "翘", meaning to rise or stand out, with "楚", which here specifically refers to the nagoonberry shrub as used in the classical Book of Songs phrase "翘翘错薪，言刈其楚". In this original context, "翘楚" literally denotes the tallest or most prominent part of such a shrub, and the compound word thus directly adopts this metaphorical sense to signify an outstanding individual or item within a group.