蜈

wú

Rank #3918

Definitions

wú used in 蜈蚣[wú gōng]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 吴 represents the sound.

Semantic: 虫 Phonetic: 吴

About

The character 蜈, employed solely in the compound 蜈蚣 for 'centipede', originates as a phono-semantic construct with the insect radical 虫 denoting its creature classification and the phonetic element 吳 supplying the pronunciation 'wú'. Its etymology is grounded in capturing the sound of the first morpheme in the word for the many-legged arthropod, and throughout its use, it has maintained this specialized meaning without acquiring additional senses. The composition of the character consistently reflects this dual function of semantic indication and phonetic guidance.

Example Sentences Hide

院子里有一条蜈蚣。

Yuànzi lǐ yǒu yī tiáo wúgōng.

There is a centipede in the yard.

弟弟很害怕蜈蚣。

Dìdi hěn hàipà wúgōng.

My younger brother is very afraid of centipedes.

我在石头下发现了那只蜈蚣。

Wǒ zài shítou xià fāxiànle nà zhī wúgōng.

I found that centipede under a rock.

蜈蚣是一种有很多脚的昆虫。

Wúgōng shì yī zhǒng yǒu hěn duō jiǎo de kūnchóng.

A centipede is an insect with many legs.

潮湿的墙角容易滋生蜈蚣。

Cháoshī de qiángjiǎo róngyì zīshēng wúgōng.

Damp corners are prone to breeding centipedes.

被蜈蚣咬伤后需要及时处理伤口。

Bèi wúgōng yǎoshāng hòu xūyào jíshí chǔlǐ shāngkǒu.

The wound needs to be treated promptly after being bitten by a centipede.

这种蜈蚣的毒性虽然不强，但也要小心。

Zhè zhǒng wúgōng de dúxìng suīrán bù qiáng, dàn yě yào xiǎoxīn.

Although this type of centipede's venom is not strong, you still need to be careful.

古代文献中曾记载过蜈蚣入药的方子。

Gǔdài wénxiàn zhōng céng jìzǎi guò wúgōng rùyào de fāngzi.

Ancient documents once recorded prescriptions that used centipedes as medicine.

Related Characters

Component: 吴

Component: 虫

Components

吴虫

蜈