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雞肋. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
雞肋, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
雞肋 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
雞肋 you have here. The definition of the word
雞肋 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
雞肋, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
Etymology
The figurative sense is from a story about Yang Xiu's interpretation of Cao Cao's thoughts in Sanguozhi , and became well known through its adapted version in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms:
夫雞肋，棄之如可惜，食之無所得，以比漢中，知王欲還也。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
夫鸡肋，弃之如可惜，食之无所得，以比汉中，知王欲还也。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]- From: Chen Shou, Records of the Three Kingdoms, circa 3rd century CE
- Fū jīlèi, qì zhī rú kěxī, shí zhī wú suǒdé, yǐ bǐ hànzhōng, zhī wáng yù hái yě.
- As for chicken ribs, it's pitiful to throw them away, yet there is not much (meat) to eat. If we know that the King (Cao Cao) is using them to compare Hanzhong, we can know that he wants to retreat.
Pronunciation
Noun
雞肋
- chicken ribs
- (figurative) thing of little value or interest, yet pitiable if given up or thrown away
See also