Taxonomy of meanings for 肉:　　

  • 肉 rou4 《集韻》如又切，去宥日。
  • 肉 ròu (OC: njuɡ MC: ȵiuk) 如六切 入 廣韻：【骨肉如六切俗作𡧢三 】
    • MEAT
      • nadVobjectaiming for meat, having meat as an object
      • nmspecifically: flesh or meat of animals or humans in so far as this is regarded as edible
      • nmhumanhuman flesh
      • nmadNconsisting of flesh
      • vtoNcausativeput meat on
      • of meat, grow on bones>GROW
        • of meat, related activity>EAT
          • metaphorical>FRUIT
            • metaphorical>BODY
              • nadNbodily, physical (punishments etc)CH

          Additional information about 肉

          說文解字: 【肉】，胾肉。象形。凡肉之屬皆从肉。 【如六切】

            Criteria
          • FLESH

            1. The general term for animal flesh or or any flesh viewed as possible food is ròu 肉. See MEAT.

            2. Jī 肌 refers to living human flesh and muscle, but the word has extended uses like "flesh" in "the flesh of an orange".

          • RELATIVES

            1. The current general words for relatives are qīn 親 "consanguine relative", and qī 戚 "non-consaguine relative".

            2. Juàn 眷 is not very current in pre-Buddhist times, but does refer quite generally to consanguine as well as non-consanguine relatives.

            3. Qī 戚 refers to relatives including and sometimes focussing on the non-consanguine relations.

            4. Qīn qī 親戚 refers to members of one family having a consanguinal relationship. Before the >Qín 秦 dynasty, these could be also called zhì qīn 至親.

            5. Gǔ roù 骨肉 is used as a metaphor refering to a consanginual kinship.

            6. Jiā rén 家人 refers to the family living together.

            7. Qīn shǔ 親屬 refers in a rather objective or even administrative way to the members of a clan.

          • MEAT

            1. The current general word for meat as something edible is ròu 肉.

            2. Xīng 腥 refers to raw meat.

            3. Niú 牛 is sometimes used to refer to beef.

            4. Yáng 羊 is sometimes used to refer to mutton.

          • SLIM

            1. The most current general word for skinniness is probably jí 瘠 / 膌 (ant. féi 肥 "fat").

            2. Qú 臞 (ant. rǎng 壤 [ 肉字旁 ]) refers to skinniness in humans.

            3. Léi 羸 refers to skinniness as a result of famine or of disease.

            4. Shòu 瘦 is rare in pre-Buddhist times, and refers generally to emaciation.

            Word relations
          • Object: (MEAT)嗜 / 耆/DESIRE Shì 嗜 (ant. wù 惡 "dislike") refers to a stable and deeply ingrained constant desire for something.
          • Object: (MEAT)食/EAT The general word is shí 食 which refers to any form of taking in food, but the word is probably primarily a noun meaning "food". Cf. 飯疏食 "dine on coarse food".
          • Epithet: (MEAT)肥/FAT The current general word for sleekness or obesity is féi 肥 (ant. qū 臞 "emaciated", jí 瘠 "thin") , and it must be noted that the term has positive connotations in ancient China.
          • Epithet: (BODY)刑法/LAW
          • Assoc: (MEAT)肌/FLESH
          • Assoc: (MEAT)骨/BONE By far the most general and current word for all kinds of bones is gǔ 骨. [GENERAL]; [[CURRENT+]]