Definitions

(noun) instep; tarsus

Etymology phono-semantic

foot

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phono-semantic compound combining the foot radical (zú) on the left with the phonetic component (fù) on the right. The radical marks the character as an anatomical term for the foot, while , which means "pay" or "hand over" as an independent word, here simply indicates the pronunciation. The character denotes the instep, the top surface of the foot, or the tarsus bones, making it a highly specialized medical descriptor. Rare in everyday speech, it appears almost exclusively in clinical, medical, and classical biological texts that require precise identification of the foot's skeletal and surface anatomy.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern