Definitions
old rags
Etymology
About
袽 (rú) is a noun referring to rags or worn-out garments, particularly those repurposed for practical tasks like caulking or padding. It is a phono-semantic compound: the left radical 衣 (yī) indicates its semantic connection to clothing, while the right component 如 (rú) serves as the phonetic element. In classical texts such as the I Ching, the character specifically denotes using old cloth to plug leaks in a boat. This precise functional meaning kept its usage narrow and literary, tied to classical references rather than developing into a common term for rags.