Definitions
arrow; weeds
Etymology
About
The character 菆 (zōu) is a phono-semantic compound with the grass radical 艹 (cǎo) on top indicating its plant-related meaning, and 取 (qǔ) below providing its phonetic component. Originally, it referred to a type of stiff weed or hemp-like stalk. Its meaning later extended to denote high-quality arrows, as the straight, durable stems of these plants were commonly used to craft arrow shafts. Over time, this archery association became its primary literary usage, though 菆 remains a specialized classical character, seldom appearing outside ancient texts on weaponry or traditional agriculture.
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