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刺

Mandarin · pinyin cī#

Meanings · cī

  1. (onom.) whoosh
Mandarin · pinyin cì#

Meanings · cì

  1. thorn
  2. sting
  3. thrust
  4. to prick
  5. to pierce
  6. to stab
  7. to assassinate
  8. to murder
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Characters in this entry

刺
cì · stab; prick, irritate; prod
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Entries containing 刺 ↗Words written with 刺 ↗

Mandarin tones

1 · ci1

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Connected dictionary

1character link8same-tone records
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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Rime · Wiktionary

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

cek3 · ci3 · cik3 · sik3

Cantonese word readings for 刺. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character · Etymology 1

  1. a pointed structure which is able to pierce something (spike, spine, thorn, prickle, etc.)
  2. (literary, or in compounds) visiting card

character · Etymology 1

  1. to stab; to prick
  2. (literary, or in compounds) to kill discreetly; to assassinate discreetly
  3. (literary, or in compounds) to criticize with pointed words
  4. (literary, or in compounds) to pry into; to investigate
  5. (literary, or in compounds) to stimulate
  6. (literary, or in compounds or Southern Min) to provoke; to irritate (through light, sound, heat, etc.)
  7. (fencing) to thrust; to attack the opponent at an area parallel to the weapon's length
  8. (fencing) thrust
  9. a surname, Ci
  10. (Hokkien, by extension) to sew; to weave; to knit; to embroider
  11. to tattoo
  12. (Mainland China Hokkien) dazzling; glaring
  13. (Mainland China Hokkien) to pick out; to pluck out
  14. (Taiwanese Hokkien) to expose; to bring to light
  15. (Taiwanese Hokkien) prickly and uncomfortable (as if being pricked by needles)
  16. (Zhangzhou Hokkien) to remind someone during a fight of the number of times one has given favors to that person

character · Etymology 1

  1. sound of rubbing

character · Etymology 1

  1. only used in 刺促 (qìcù)

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack