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酖 is a phono-semantic compound with the wine radical 酉 hinting at intoxicating liquids, while 冘 gives the sound. It originally referred to a highly poisonous wine or the act of poisoning with such a drink. Over time, the meaning broadened to denote heavy alcohol addiction or overindulgence in harmful vices. The character is often used interchangeably with 鸩, a mythical bird whose feathers were supposedly soaked in wine to produce the same lethal potion.
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