Definition
挟 has two main clusters of meaning. The first is physical: to hold something under your arm or to embrace. The second is figurative and more common in formal or literary Chinese: to coerce, to hold someone hostage, or to harbor resentment. You'll also see it in the compound 要挟 (yāoxié, 'to blackmail') and 挟持 (xiéchí, 'to hold hostage'). In formal writing, 挟 can mean 'to rely on' or 'to depend on' (e.g., 挟势 'to rely on one's power').
v.
to hold under the armto embraceto coerceto hold hostageto blackmailto harbor (resentment, etc.)
Examples
- 挟。Tā # zhe yì běn shū zǒu jìn le jiàoshì.He walked into the classroom holding a book under his arm.
- ，。Bǎngfěi # chí rénzhì, yāoqiú jǐngfāng shìfàng tónghuǒ.The kidnappers held the hostage and demanded the police release their accomplice.
- 挟，。Tā xīnzhōng # yuàn, yìzhí bùkěn yuánliàng duìfāng.He harbored resentment in his heart and never forgave the other person.
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