饕
be greedy, be ravenous
Strokes22
Readings
On'yomi
- トウ
Kun'yomi
- むさぼ.る
Meaning
饕 centers on excessive, uncontrolled desire for food: being greedy or ravenous. It describes an intense, almost animalistic hunger that drives one to devour without restraint.
Most common words using 饕
Study
Etymology
饕 combines 食 (food/eat) with 號 (cry out, howl), suggesting a howling hunger or crying out for food. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the phono-semantic structure is plausible.
Meaning mnemonic
The top part 號 looks like a tiger 虍 roaring with a mouth 口 and a person 儿, while the bottom is food 食. Imagine a roaring beast greedily devouring everything in sight.
Reading mnemonic
For トウ, picture a ravenous person stuffing their mouth with toe-shaped snacks: toe -> トウ, and they can't stop eating.