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知母

Mandarin · pinyin zhī mǔ

Anemarrhena asphodeloides
rhyzome of Anemarrhena (used in TCM)

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Characters in this entry

知: zhī · know, perceive, comprehend
母: mǔ · mother; female elders; female

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Mandarin tones

1–3 · zhi1 mu3

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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 Wiktionary · 3 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

noun · Etymology 1

Anemarrhena asphodeloides
(traditional Chinese medicine) rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides

noun · Etymology 2

(Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 知 (MC trje)

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

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