鼠

Core sense is "rodent." In non-biological or metaphorical contexts, the glyph typically evokes stealth, intrusion, and the clandestine consumption of resources. Early texts frequently associate the term with pestilence and the destruction of harvests.

Functions primarily as a noun. In compound constructions, it may serve as a modifier to describe something "rat-like" in size, color, or behavior (e.g., scurrying or hidden).

There is no inherent lexical distinction between a rat and a mouse; the specific English term should be chosen based on context (such as domestic space versus a granary). While associated with the first earthly branch (子) in astrological or calendrical contexts, 鼠 refers to the animal itself and remains distinct from the character 子.

Tang-period reading: *shiǔ.

Avoid projecting modern idioms onto the text. The contemporary sense of "rat" as a political informant or traitor is not present in ancient usage; any "betrayal" associated with 鼠 refers to the theft of stores by a pest, rather than moral or political treachery.