Definitions

shì to lick; to lap (up)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 舐 is a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic radical 舌 (tongue) indicates the meaning relates to the tongue, while the phonetic component 氏 provides the sound. The character fundamentally means to lick, as seen in idioms describing animals like cows licking their calves, which extends metaphorically to represent parental affection or careful tending.