About
The character 蠹 primarily functions as a noun for wood-boring insects, bookworms, or moths that consume and destroy organic materials. Its structure features the semantic radical 虫 at the bottom, classifying it as an insect or creeping creature. The upper portion, depicting an enclosure around a tree (木), visually reinforces the concept of insects dwelling within and gradually consuming wood or books from the inside out. Over time, this literal meaning expanded into a figurative verb: to slowly erode, corrupt, or undermine a system internally. This figurative sense is frequently used in historical and political texts to describe corrupt officials or malicious individuals who secretly ruin a state or society.
Etymology Hide
