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糟糠

Mandarin · pinyin zāo kāng

chaff, husks, distillers' dregs etc (food eaten by the poor)
(fig.) rubbish
junk
(abbr. for 糟糠妻 zāo kāng qī) wife who goes through the hardships of poverty with her husband

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Characters in this entry

糟: zāo · sediment, dregs; pickle
糠: kāng · chaff, bran, husks; poor

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Mandarin tones

1–1 · zao1 kang1

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zou1 hong1

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

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

noun

distiller's grains and grain husk; chaff and bran; foodstuffs for the poor; frugal meals
(figurative) short for 糟糠之妻 (zāokāngzhīqī, “wife who has shared her husband's hard lot”)

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

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