虫

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word 虫. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word 虫, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say 虫 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word 虫 you have here. The definition of the word 虫 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of虫, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: 蟲 and 䖝
虫 U+866B, 虫
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-866B
← 虪
 		CJK Unified Ideographs 虬 →
⾍ U+2F8D, ⾍
KANGXI RADICAL INSECT
← ⾌
 		Kangxi Radicals ⾎ →

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

虫 (Kangxi radical 142, 虫+0, 6 strokes, cangjie input 中一戈 (LMI), four-corner 50136, composition ⿱中⿰㇀丶)

  1. Kangxi radical #142, ⾍.

Derived characters

References

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 1076, character 19
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 32804
  • Dae Jaweon: page 1545, character 7
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2833, character 1
  • Unihan data for U+866B

Chinese

Glyph origin

A venomous snake, from which this character originated.
Historical forms of the character 虫
Shang Western Zhou Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Small seal script
Characters in the same phonetic series (兀) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
虺 *hŋuːl, *hŋruːl, *hŋlulʔ
豗 *hŋuːl
鼿 *hŋuːl, *ŋuːd
虫 *hŋlulʔ
髡 *ŋ̊ʰuːn
軏 *ŋod, *ŋuːd
扤 *ŋod, *ŋuːd
兀 *ŋuːd
杌 *ŋuːd
屼 *ŋuːd
矹 *ŋluːd

Pictogram (象形) : a snake.

The character originally represented a type of venomous snake, while the derivative 蟲／虫 represented worms and insects (or insect-like things). 虫 was later borrowed for 蟲／虫 (possibly via simplification), and the character 虺 was created to represent the original meaning.

Etymology 1

For pronunciation and definitions of 虫 – see 蟲 (“bug, including insects, worms, etc.; animal, including human; etc.”).
(This character is the simplified and variant form of 蟲).
Notes:

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 虫 – see 虺 (“a kind of venomous snake; snake; etc.”).
(This character is an ancient form of 虺).

Japanese

Shinjitai

虫

Kyūjitai

蟲

Kanji

虫

(First grade kyōiku kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 蟲)

  1. insect, bug
  2. generic name for animals

Readings

As shinjitai form of 蟲:

As the ancient form of 虺:

Compounds

Compounds

Etymology

Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia ja
Kanji in this term
虫
むし
Grade: 1
kun'yomi
Alternative spelling
蟲 (kyūjitai)

/musi/ → /muɕi/

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *mosi.

Pronunciation

Noun

虫(むし) or 虫(ムシ) • (mushi) 

  1. a bug, insect, worm
    Synonym: 昆虫 (konchū)
  2. a serpent, snake
    Synonym: 蛇 (hebi)
    獅(し)子(し)身(しん)中(ちゅう)の虫(むし)
    shishi shinchū no mushi
    a serpent in a lion
  3. (figurative) a worm (person living for only one thing)
    本(ほん)の虫(むし)
    hon no mushi
    a bookworm
  4. (derogatory) a worm (despicable person)
    泣(な)き虫(むし)
    nakimushi
    a sobbing worm; a blubberer
  5. a temperament (thought which is in the deep in mind) (Can we verify(+) this sense?)
    癇(かん)の虫(むし)
    kan no mushi
    a choleric temperament
  6. (archaic) a male lover
    Synonyms: 愛人 (aijin), 情夫 (jōfu), 隠し男 (kakushi-otoko)

Derived terms

Derived terms

References

  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 蟲 (MC drjuwng).

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

Wikisource

虫 (eumhun 벌레 충 (beolle chung))

  1. Alternative form of 蟲 (“hanja form? of 충 (“insect; bug”)”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 虫 (MC xjw+jX).

Hanja

虫 (eumhun 벌레 훼 (beolle hwe))

  1. Alternative form of 虺 (“hanja form? of 훼 (“type of poisonous snake”)”)

References

  • 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Vietnamese

Han character

虫: Hán Việt readings: trùng (持(trì)中(trung)切(thiết))[1][2][3][4][5]
虫: Nôm readings: tròng[1][2], trùng[1][2], chòng[1], chùng[3]

  1. chữ Hán form of trùng (“Kangxi radical 142”).
  2. Alternative form of 蟲 (“insect; microbe, germ”)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Nguyễn (2014).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Trần (2004).
  4. ^ Bonet (1899).
  5. ^ Génibrel (1898).
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia