枯

Core sense: Desiccation resulting from the loss of vitality or the exhaustion of a source; a state of being "spent."

1. Botanical: Withered, desiccated, or dead vegetation; implies the plant has become brittle or perished rather than merely thirsty.

2. Hydrological: The drying up of water sources (e.g., streams, wells) that can no longer provide.

3. Abstract/Psychological: The exhaustion of spirit, creative faculty, or emotional vitality. In Buddhist contexts, this may range from spiritual depletion and stagnation to a deliberate detachment from worldly passions.

• Adjective: Describing a state (e.g., "withered branches").
• Verb: To wither, dry up, or waste away; can be used intransitively to describe the process of perishing.

When distinguishing between terms for dryness or withering:

• 乾 (gān): General absence of moisture. A neutral state that does not necessarily imply death, decay, or loss of vitality.
• 凋 (diāo): The process of wilting or fading; emphasizes transition and often carries a poetic or transient connotation.
• 枯 (kū): The finality of desiccation. While 凋 is the act of wilting, 枯 is the resulting dead state, denoting permanent exhaustion.