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The character 寇, which has retained its traditional form without simplification, is constructed from components that clearly illustrate its original meaning. Its structure, composed of 宀 (mián, representing a roof or dwelling), 元 (yuán, originally depicting a person with an emphasized head, here suggesting a person), and 攴 (pū, indicating a hand holding a stick or to strike), visually conveys the act of violently entering a home to attack its occupants. This etymology directly informs its earliest meanings, which centered on banditry, plunder, and violent intrusion. Over centuries of use, the term's application broadened from describing individual criminal acts to labeling larger groups of invaders or enemies, such as in the historical term 倭寇 (wōkòu) for Japanese pirates, while still carrying the core sense of a hostile, predatory force.
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Example Sentences Hide
日寇被我们赶走了。
历史上曾有流寇作乱。
战士们英勇抗击敌寇。
那个海盗头目实属海寇。
平定寇乱需要很大决心。
剿灭山寇的行动很成功。
对待民族寇仇绝不能手软。
这群反政府武装被定性为寇匪。