DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

蝕

简蚀 · 繁蝕

Mandarin · pinyin shí

to nibble away at sth
to eat into
to erode

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Characters in this entry

蝕: Look up this written character
蚀: shí · nibble away; erode; eclipse

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2 · shi2

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1character link40same-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.

蝕 · find source passages ↗ · 蚀 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 6 senses · 2 Cantonese readings

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

sik6 · sit6

Cantonese word readings for 蝕. 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.

character · Etymology 1

to corrode; to erode
(astronomy) to eclipse
(Hokkien) to wane; to fade away; to regress; to dissipate

character · Etymology 2

(Cantonese, Hakka, Southern Min, Wu) to lose money
(Cantonese) to have struck a bad bargain; to be at a disadvantage; to lose out
(Cantonese) to wear due to constant friction

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

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