About
饕 is a phono-semantic compound denoting extreme gluttony. The food radical 食 at the bottom provides its core semantic link to eating, while the complex upper component, derived from 號, serves as the phonetic element and evokes a sense of loud, aggressive voracity. This character is most famously associated with the Taotie, a mythological beast with an insatiable appetite, whose disembodied, fearsome face is often depicted on ancient bronze vessels. Consequently, 饕 specifically conveys rapacious eating and unchecked material greed.
Etymology Hide
