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A phono-semantic compound, 蠖 combines the semantic radical 虫 (insect) with the phonetic component 蒦. It primarily denotes the inchworm or looper caterpillar, recognized by its distinctive looping gait. In classical texts, the term metaphorically extended to describe the act of bending or yielding to gain eventual advancement, as in the saying '尺蠖之屈, 以求信也', the inchworm bends to extend.
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