周

zhōu

Zhou dynasty; circumference; thorough/complete

Meaning

  • Proper Noun: The Zhou dynasty.
  • Spatial/Physical: Circumference, perimeter, or a circuit.
  • Qualitative/Abstract: Thorough, comprehensive, meticulous, or all-encompassing (derived from the notion of completing a circuit).
  • Temporal: A cycle, round, or recurring period.

Grammar and usage

  • Noun: Refers to the dynasty, a physical boundary/circuit, or a unit of time.
  • Verb: To go around, circumnavigate, tour, patrol, or circulate through a space.
  • Adjective: Describes a state of completeness or an action performed with thoroughness.

History and forms

  • Fanqie reading: 職流

// Tang-period reading: //jiou

Translator notes

When the glyph does not refer to the Zhou dynasty, distinguish between movement and quality. If the context involves an official or a physical entity in motion, lean toward "circling" or "patrolling." If it modifies a cognitive process or an administrative result, lean toward "comprehensive" or "thorough."

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.