Definitions

zhū (bound form) spider

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character '蛛', meaning spider, is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the radical '虫' on the left, which categorizes it as a creeping insect or small creature, and the component '朱' on the right, which primarily indicates its pronunciation. This character has historically appeared most often within the compound '蜘蛛' to denote spiders, a usage consistently documented in classical texts. While its core meaning has remained specific to spiders, it has also been utilized metaphorically in phrases such as '蛛丝马迹', where it evokes the delicate persistence of a spider's web to describe faint clues, illustrating a subtle expansion in its semantic range without altering its fundamental definition.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

在织网。

Zhīzhū zài zhī wǎng.

The spider is weaving a web.

我害怕蜘

Wǒ hàipà zhīzhū.

I am afraid of spiders.

墙上有一只蜘

Qiáng shàng yǒu yī zhī zhīzhū.

There is a spider on the wall.

网很粘。

Zhīzhūwǎng hěn zhān.

The spider web is very sticky.

那只蜘爬走了。

Nà zhī zhīzhū pá zǒu le.

That spider crawled away.

是节肢动物。

Zhīzhū shì jiézhī dòngwù.

Spiders are arthropods.

他用显微镜观察蜘

Tā yòng xiǎnwēijìng guānchá zhīzhū.

He observes spiders with a microscope.

的毒液可能有害。

Zhīzhū de dúyè kěnéng yǒuhài.

Spider venom can be harmful.