Definitions

zhǎn to dab, to sop up, to wipe away tears

Etymology phono-semantic

hand

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 搌 is a phono-semantic compound describing a delicate physical action. Its left component, the hand radical 扌 (shǒu), indicates a manual gesture or manipulation. The right component, 展 (zhǎn), meaning "to unfold", provides the phonetic value. Together, they form a verb meaning to gently wipe, dab, or press with an absorbent material like a cloth or sponge, for instance, dabbing tears or cleaning a wet surface. This structure directly combines the hand action with the sound to specify this careful, absorptive motion.