Definitions
an amphibious beast resembling a tiger with one horn; place name
Etymology
Origin unclear. 虎 depicts a tiger.
About
The character "虒" originates from early Chinese texts as a term for a mythological beast often described as a horned tiger, with its traditional form structurally composed of the semantic component "虎" meaning tiger and the element "厃", which may have served a phonetic or semantic role related to height or danger. Etymologically, it functioned as a name for this specific creature in classical literature, but over time its usage diminished, and the character now appears primarily in historical contexts and certain geographical names, marking a transition from a concrete mythological referent to an obscure and rarely used graph.
Etymology Hide
