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喪家之狗. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
喪家之狗, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
喪家之狗 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
喪家之狗 you have here. The definition of the word
喪家之狗 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
喪家之狗, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
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lose (by death); mourning; funeral
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home; family; ‑ist home; family; ‑ist; ‑er; ‑ian; measure word for stores and schools |
's; him/her/it; this
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dog
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| trad. (喪家之狗)
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喪
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家
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之
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狗
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| simp. (丧家之狗)
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丧
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家
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之
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狗
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Etymology
From the Records of the Grand Historian:
東門有人，其顙似堯，其項類皋陶，其肩類子產，然自要以下不及禹三寸，纍纍若喪家之狗。
东门有人，其颡似尧，其项类皋陶，其肩类子产，然自要以下不及禹三寸，累累若丧家之狗。 - Dōngmén yǒu rén, qí sǎng sì Yáo, qí xiàng lèi Gāoyáo, qí jiān lèi Zǐchǎn, rán zì yāo yǐxià bùjí Yǔ sān cùn, léiléi ruò sāngjiā zhī gǒu.
- There is a man at the eastern gate with Yao's forehead, Gaoyao's neck and Zichan's shoulders, but below his waist he is shorter than Yu by three inches. He was dejected as the dog of a family in mourning.
喪家之狗 was later reanalysed as "a dog that has lost its home", which would often go hungry and wander the streets in search for food, due to neglect by its master. Later, this became a metaphor for a desperate person who has nobody to turn to.
Pronunciation
Idiom
喪家之狗
- (literal) a stray dog
- (figurative) a desperate person who has nobody to turn to
Synonyms