Definition
臼 originally refers to a mortar — the ancient tool used with a pestle to pound grains. Modern Chinese mainly uses 臼 in fixed compounds: 臼齿 'molar tooth' (for its flat grinding shape); 脱臼 'dislocation' (when a bone slips out of its joint). The word is rarely used alone in everyday speech; you'll encounter it in medical, archaeological, or literary contexts.
n.
mortar (tool for pounding rice or grain)(in compound words) molar tooth(in compound words) joint (of bones)socket
Examples
- 臼舂。Gǔdài rén yòng jiù hé chǔ lái chōng mǐ.Ancient people used a mortar and pestle to pound rice.
- ，。Tā de jiù chǐ zhù le yí ge dòng, xūyào bǔ yá.He has a cavity in his molar that needs filling.
- ，。Tā dǎ lánqiú shí jiānbǎng tuō jiù le, téng de dòng bù liǎo.He dislocated his shoulder playing basketball and couldn't move from the pain.
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