黐
bird-lime
Readings
On'yomi
- チ
- リ
Kun'yomi
- もち
Meaning
黐 refers to bird-lime, a sticky substance used to trap birds. The meaning is narrow and concrete, centered on this adhesive material.
Most common words using 黐
- 唐鼠黐とうねずみもち
broad-leaf privet (Ligustrum lucidum); glossy privet
- 姫黐ひめもち
Ilex leucoclada (species of holly)
- 眼鏡黐之魚めがねもちのうお
humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus); Napoleon wrasse; Napoleonfish; Maori wrasse
- 要黐かなめもち
Japanese photinia (Photinia glabra)
- 黐もち
birdlime
- 黐の木もちのき
Nepal holly (Ilex integra)
- 黐竿もちざお
lime stick for catching insects
- 黐躑躅もちつつじ
Rhododendron macrosepalum
- 黒鉄黐くろがねもち
kurogane holly (Ilex rotunda)
- 鼠黐ねずみもち
Japanese privet (Ligustrum japonicum)
Study
Etymology
黐 combines 黍 (millet) and 离, which likely contributes the sound. The character may have originally referred to a sticky substance made from millet, fitting the bird-lime meaning.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 黍 suggests sticky millet, and the right side 离 looks like a bird caught in a trap. Together, they make bird-lime: a sticky millet-based paste used to trap birds.
Reading mnemonic
For チ, imagine a bird stuck in the lime letting out a tiny 'chee!' sound: chee -> チ, as it struggles against the sticky trap.