Dictionary › 茧

茧

jiǎn

Character Traditional 繭

What 茧 means

1. bound formcocoon
2. bound formcallus (variant of {趼|jiǎn})

Other readings

茧 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• jiǎnvariant of {茧|jiǎn}

Words starting with 茧

• 茧子jiǎn zicallus (patch or hardened skin); corns (on feet); also 趼子

Words containing 茧

• 老茧lǎo jiǎncallus (patch or hardened skin); corns (on feet); also 老趼
• 作茧zuò jiǎnto make a cocoon
• 蚕茧cán jiǎnsilkworm cocoon
• 重茧chóng jiǎnthick callus; (literary) thick silkwaste padded clothes
• 蚕茧纸cán jiǎn zhǐpaper made from silkworm cocoons
• 作茧自缚zuò jiǎn zì fùto spin a cocoon around oneself (idiom); enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising…
• 信息茧房xìn xī jiǎn fáng(Internet) echo chamber; filter bubble
• 抽丝剥茧chōu sī bō jiǎn(lit.) to unwind the silk thread from the cocoon (idiom); (fig.) to unravel a mystery…
• 破茧成蝶pò jiǎn chéng diélit. to break through a cocoon and turn into a butterfly (idiom)…
• 造茧自缚zào jiǎn zì fùto spin a cocoon around oneself (idiom); enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising…

Characters built on 虫

These share the phonetic component 虫 (chóng), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 蝙biānused in 蝙蝠
• 蚬xiǎnbasket clam (clam of family Corbiculidae); (esp.) Corbicula leana 真蚬
• 蠊liánused in 蜚蠊

Characters that look like 茧

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 紧jǐntight; strict; close at hand
• 酋qiútribal chief
• 冤yuāninjustice; grievance; wrong
• 宸chénimperial apartments
• 鸳yuānmandarin duck
• 莴wōused in 莴苣; used in 莴笋

Sounds the same

Read jiǎn, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 检to check; to examine; to inspect
• 简simple; uncomplicated; letter
• 减to lower; to decrease; to reduce
• 剪(bound form) scissors or similar tool; to cut as with scissors; (bound form) to wipe out…
• 捡to pick up; to collect; to gather
• 柬card; note; letter
• 俭(bound form) frugal; thrifty
• 拣to choose; to pick; to sort out
• 蹇lame; cripple; unfortunate
• 碱(chemistry) base; alkali; soda
• 睑eyelid
• 謇to speak out boldly