折腰

zhé yāo

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Definitions

  1. 1. to bend at the waist
  2. 2. to bow
  3. 3. (fig.) to bow to
  4. 4. to submit

Words Containing 折腰

为五斗米折腰
wèi wǔ dǒu mǐ zhé yāo

(allusion to Tao Qian 陶潛|陶潜[táo qián], who used this phrase when he resigned from government service rather than show subservience to a visiting inspector) to bow and scrape for five pecks of rice (that being a part of his salary as a local magistrate)

Child Words of 折腰

折
shé

to snap

折
zhē

to turn sth over

折
zhé

to break

腰
yāo

waist