Definitions

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

Etymology phono-semantic

hand

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The phono-semantic compound combines the hand radical (shǒu) with (zhǎn, meaning "to unfold or spread out"). The hand radical signals a manual action, and provides the pronunciation. The character refers to gently wiping, dabbing, or pressing with an absorbent material, such as a cloth, sponge, or paper, to soak up liquid, as in dabbing away tears or lightly cleaning a wet surface.