Taxonomy of meanings for 操:　　

  • 操 sóu (OC: soowʔ MC: səu) 蘇后切 上 廣韻：【車轂中空 】
  • 操 cào (OC: tshaaws MC: tsʰɑu) 七到切 去 廣韻：【持也又志操七到切又七刀切七 】
    • ACT
      • nabactconduct, way of behaviour as something deliberately cultivated
      • vtoNtake on (a task); practice (an art)
  • 操 cāo (OC: tshaaw MC: tsʰɑu) 七刀切 平 廣韻：【操持七刀切又七到切四 】
    • WIELD
      • vtoNwield and use (a weapon, broom, or tool); or abstractly: practice (a technique)
      • vt(oN)wield/deploy/excercise the contextually determinate N
      • vtoNinchoativestart to wieldCH
      • nderivedwhat one figuratively wields and usesLZ
      • musical instruments>PLUCK
        • musical instruments>KNOCK
            • what is performed>TUNE
            • generalised>WORK
                • generalised>BEHAVIOUR
                    • underlying pattern of>PRINCIPLE
                        • public>STANDARD
                          • nabmethodpattern of behaviour, standard of action
                    • military drill> EXERCISE
                  • generalised>HOLD
                    • vtoNhold in one's hands and be in charge of; hold and carry along (objects with or without a handle)
                    • vtoN.adVholding an N to VCH
                    • socially: hold the control of>CONTROL
                      • viactwield control
                      • vtoNhandle with skill; wield effective control over
                • SURNAMES
                  • =躁
                • cāoTAKE
                  • vtoNinchoativetake hold of so as to wieldCH

                Additional information about 操

                說文解字: 【操】，把持也。从手、喿聲。 【七刀切】

                  Criteria
                • STANDARD

                  1. The current general words for a standard to be followed is guī 規.

                  2. The current word referring specifically to physical standards and measurements is dù 度.

                  3. The current general word for abstract moral standards is jié 節.

                  4. Cháng 常 focusses on the lasting effectiveness of a standard.

                  5. Cao 操 refers to a standard as a technique to be mastered and then exercised.

                  6. Zhì 制 refers to a system in general. See SYSTEM

                • HOLD

                  1. The most current general and neutral word for holding something in any way concrete or abstract is chí 持 (ant. shī 失 "lose hold of").

                  2. Zhí 執 is often inchoative "take hold of", and then comes to mean "hold on to, keep holding" as one goes along.

                  3. Cāo 操 refers to holding and holding onto something, often taking it along as one goes along, sometimes wielding it as a weapon.

                  4. Bǐng 秉 refers to clasping something firmly, often solemnly with both hands, and sometimes several things so as to hold and keep them together and not to let go.

                  5. Jiá 挾 refers specifically to holding something under one's armpit, but the word also has some more generalised uses.

                  6. Wò 握 and bǎ 把 are rather dramatic words referring to gripping something and not letting go of it.

                  7. Gǒng 拱 refers to holding something politely in both hands.

                  Word relations
                • Object: (ACT)事/WORK Shì 事 (ant. xián 閒 "be at leisure") refers primarily to an official or regular working effort made on behalf of and in the service of an employer or a ruler.
                • Object: (WIELD)弓/BOW The current general word for the bow is gōng 弓, and it must be remembered that in early times the bow was used not only to shoot arrows but also mud pellets and the like.
                • Object: (WIELD)學/STUDY The dominant word is xué 學 (ant. jiào 教 "train teach")which refers primarily to studying or training under another person, and secondarily to the learning by heart texts. Very often, the word retains a tinge of immitation.
                • Contrast: (ACT)德/VIRTUE The current general term for salient features and principles of charismatic moral integrity and generosity is dé 德, when used as a term of ethical evalutation; but this word has many other philosophically important meanings.
                • Contrast: (STANDARD)節/STANDARD The current general word for abstract moral standards is jié 節.
                • Contrast: (ACT)行/ACT The current general word for any deliberate action one may be held morally and/or administratively responsible for is xíng 行 (ant. zhǐ 止 "decide not to take action"). The nominal entries have the old reading xìng. [COMMENDATORY!], [GENERAL], [HABITUAL], [RESPONSIBLE]
                • Assoc: (ACT)行/ACT The current general word for any deliberate action one may be held morally and/or administratively responsible for is xíng 行 (ant. zhǐ 止 "decide not to take action"). The nominal entries have the old reading xìng. [COMMENDATORY!], [GENERAL], [HABITUAL], [RESPONSIBLE]
                • Synon: (HOLD)執/HOLD Zhí 執 is often inchoative "take hold of", and then comes to mean "hold on to, keep holding" as one goes along.
                • Synon: (WIELD)把/HOLD Wò 握 and bǎ 把 are rather dramatic words referring to gripping something and not letting go of it.
                • Oppos: (ACT)性/BASIC NATURE The current and quite dominant word for the stable inherent and prototypically innate features of something is xìng 性 (ant. wéi 為 "what belongs to human action", and wěi 偽"artificial").