Taxonomy of meanings for 潮:  

    Additional information about 潮

    說文解字:

      Criteria
    • WAVE

      1. The current general word for water in wave-movement is pō 波.

      2. Tāo 濤 is a late word referring to large waves.

      3. Lián 漣 and lún 淪 are rare words referring to small ripples in water.

      4. Cháo 潮 refers to a flood of considerable dimensions without necessarily connoting high waves.

      NB: Làng 浪 is a post-Han general term for waves, and focusses specifically to the crest of waves. In pre-Buddhist times the word means "to flow along".