Definitions
elbow; pork shoulder
Etymology
Originally written similar to 九, which depicts an elbow. Later the ⺼ (meat, flesh) component was added.
About
The character "肘" originates from an early pictograph depicting a bent arm with a dot or short line emphasizing the joint, which over time stylized into its present structure combining the radical for flesh or body parts (月/肉) with the component "寸", a later phonetic addition that also carries connotations of measurement or hand-related action. Its core meaning has consistently referred to the elbow joint, a hinge point of the arm, though the character itself structurally shifted from a direct pictographic representation to a more abstract ideographic form. Historically, the word was also used verbally in classical texts to mean "to elbow" or "to nudge with the elbow", demonstrating an extension from the noun to an action performed by that body part, though this verbal usage is less common in modern language.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我的肘部有点疼。
小心别碰到他的肘。
他用手肘轻轻推了我一下。
医生检查了我的肘关节。
他摔了一跤肘部擦伤了。
网球运动员容易肘部受伤。
请保持肘部弯曲九十度。
这种护具能有效减轻肘部压力。