老虎

Chinese

 
old; aged; venerable
old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix)
tiger
trad. (老虎) 老 虎
simp. #(老虎) 老 虎

Etymology

老 (lǎo, “old; venerable”) is used to indicate respect for the dangerous animal, which is subject to taboo. Compare ancient Chu dialect 於菟.

Pronunciation


Noun

老虎

老虎 (1)
  1. tiger (Classifier: 隻/只 m c)
    在這方圓十里之內根本就沒有老虎。 [MSC, trad.]
    在这方圆十里之内根本就没有老虎。 [MSC, simp.]
    Zài zhè fāngyuán shí lǐ zhīnèi gēnběn jiù méiyǒu lǎohǔ. [Pinyin]
    There simply isn't a single tiger within the 10-mile radius.
  2. (Yangzhou Mandarin) tractor
  3. (figurative) energy-consuming unit or machine
  4. (figurative) one who uses one's power and influence to engage in large-scale embezzlement, theft or tax evasion

Synonyms

Derived terms

See also

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