Definition
璧 (bì) refers to a specific type of ancient Chinese jade artifact — a flat, round disc with a hole in the center, used in ritual ceremonies and as a symbol of rank and virtue. It is most famously known from the idiom 完璧归赵 (wán bì guī Zhào), meaning 'to return something intact to its owner'. In modern usage, 璧 appears mainly in literary or historical contexts, or as part of compound words like 璧玉 (bìyù, 'jade').
n.
a round flat piece of jade with a hole in the centerused as a ritual object in ancient China
Examples
- 璧。Zhè kuài bì shì Zhànguó shíqī de wénwù.This jade disc is a cultural relic from the Warring States period.
- 。Wán bì guī Zhào de gùshi zài Zhōngguó jiāyùhùxiǎo.The story of 'returning the jade intact to Zhao' is well-known in China.
- 璧。Gǔdài guìzú cháng yǐ bì zuòwéi xìnwù.Ancient nobles often used jade discs as tokens of trust.
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