About
The character "茧", representing a cocoon, originates from the traditional form "繭", which structurally combines the silk radical with the insect component, etymologically pointing to its specific association with the silkworm's protective casing. Over time, the character's composition was simplified, resulting in the contemporary form that places the grass radical above the insect, a structural modification that maintained the essential idea of a natural enclosure while altering its visual representation. While its primary meaning has consistently referred to the silkworm cocoon, the term gradually extended to denote any similar larval casing in nature and, through metaphorical application, came to describe hardened skin such as calluses, demonstrating a semantic shift from a narrow biological reference to broader, figurative uses.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
茧是蚕做的。
这是一个白色的茧。
蚕在茧里变成蛾。
他手上有厚厚的老茧。
工人们正在收集蚕茧。
蚕从茧中出来时是蛾子。
茧丝绸制品非常珍贵。
突破心理的茧才能成长。