蟹

xiè

crab

Meaning

Literal: The crustacean.

Metaphorical: An oblique or indirect approach (referencing the animal's sideways movement).

History and forms

Semantic variant: U+880F.

Graphical notes

Composed of 虫 (creature/insect) and 解 (phonetic). Note that suggestions linking the "loosening" meaning of 解 to molting or articulation are speculative and not established lexical rules.

Translator notes

In natural history or culinary contexts, check for preceding modifiers specifying habitat (e.g., river vs. sea).

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