Definitions
used in 蝄蜽[wǎng liǎng]
Etymology
About
The character 蝄 functions as a phono-semantic compound, primarily serving as a variant form related to certain arachnids or mythological spirits and mountain demons. Its left component, the radical 虫, signifies insects and creeping creatures, grounding the character in the semantic category of small animals like spiders. The right component, 罔, meaning "net" or "to deceive", provides both the phonetic element and a semantic hint at spiders' web-spinning nature. In different literary contexts, the character can refer either to literal web-weaving arachnids or to the trap-like, complex nature of entities in traditional folklore.