囟

xìn

㐅 + 丿 + 囗

Definitions

xìn fontanel (gap between the bones of an infant's skull)

Etymology

Depicts the gap between the bones in an infant skull.

About

Unlike many Chinese characters that combine sound and meaning, 囟 is an ideograph that directly illustrates an infant's fontanel, the soft spot where the skull bones haven't yet fused. The top stroke outlines the crown of the head, and the cross pattern inside traces the intersecting lines of the gap. Its meaning remains tightly bound to this anatomical feature; metaphorical uses are exceptionally rare and typically occur only in specialized medical language.