断尾 斷尾 duàn wěi (zoology) (of a lizard etc) to shed its tail / to autotomize its tail / (animal husbandry) to cut the tail short / to dock the tail 吴头楚尾 吳頭楚尾 wú tóu chǔ wěi lit. head in Wu and tail in Chu (idiom) / fig. close together / head-to-tail / one thing starts where the other leaves off 马尾 馬尾 mǎ wěi ponytail (hairstyle) / horse's tail / slender fibers like horse's tail (applies to various plants) 投鼠忌器 tóu shǔ jì qì lit. to refrain from shooting at the rat for fear of breaking the vases (idiom) / to not act against an evil so as to prevent harm to innocents 社鼠城狐 shè shǔ chéng hú lit. rat in a country shrine, fox on town walls / fig. unprincipled thugs who abuse others' power to bully and exploit people 一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥 一粒老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥 yī lì lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō zhōu lit. one pellet of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of congee (idiom) / fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch 一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅汤 一顆老鼠屎壞了一鍋湯 yī kē lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō tāng lit. one pellet of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of soup (idiom) / fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch 老鼠过街，人人喊打 老鼠過街，人人喊打 lǎo shǔ guò jiē , rén rén hǎn dǎ lit. when a rat crosses the street, people chase it down (idiom) / fig. everyone detests a lowlife 獐头鼠目 獐頭鼠目 zhāng tóu shǔ mù lit. the head of a river deer and the eyes of a rat (idiom) / fig. repulsively ugly and shifty-looking syn 顺风 順風 shùn fēng lit. tail wind / Bon voyage! syn 彻头彻尾 徹頭徹尾 chè tóu chè wěi lit. from head to tail (idiom) / thoroughgoing / through and through / out and out / from top to bottom syn 虎头蛇尾 虎頭蛇尾 hǔ tóu shé wěi lit. tiger's head, snake's tail (idiom) / fig. a strong start but weak finish syn 打退堂鼓 dá tuì táng gǔ lit. to beat the return drum (idiom) / fig. to give up / to turn tail syn 打退堂鼓 dǎ tuì táng gǔ lit. to beat the return drum (idiom) / fig. to give up / to turn tail syn 摇尾乞怜 搖尾乞憐 yáo wěi qǐ lián lit. to behave like a dog wagging its tail, seeking its master's affection (idiom) / fig. to fawn on sb / to bow and scrape / to grovel syn 狗尾续貂 狗尾續貂 gǒu wěi xù diāo lit. to use a dog's tail as a substitute for sable fur (idiom) / fig. a worthless sequel to a masterpiece 狐狸尾巴 hú li wěi ba lit. fox's tail (idiom) / visible sign of evil intentions / to reveal one's evil nature / evidence that reveals the villain syn 龙头蛇尾 龍頭蛇尾 lóng tóu shé wěi lit. dragon's head, snake's tail (idiom) / fig. a strong start but weak finish 虎尾春冰 hǔ wěi chūn bīng lit. like stepping on a tiger's tail or spring ice (idiom) / fig. extremely dangerous situation syn 宁做鸡头，不做凤尾 寧做雞頭，不做鳳尾 nìng zuò jī tóu , bù zuò fèng wěi lit. would rather be a chicken's head than a phoenix's tail (idiom) / fig. to prefer to be a big fish in a small pond rather than a small fish in a big pond 龟笑鳖无尾 龜笑鱉無尾 guī xiào biē wú wěi lit. a tortoise laughing at a soft-shelled turtle for having no tail (idiom) / fig. the pot calling the kettle black 老鼠 lǎo shǔ rat / mouse (CL:隻|只[zhi1]) syn 耗子 hào zi (dialect) mouse / rat syn 子 zǐ son / child / seed / egg / small thing / 1st earthly branch: 11 p.m.-1 a.m., midnight, 11th solar month (7th December to 5th January), year of the rat / viscount, fourth of five orders of nobility 五等爵位[wu3deng3 jue2wei4] / ancient Chinese compass point: 0° (north) / subsidiary / subordinate / (prefix) sub- syn 大鼠 dà shǔ rat 小白鼠 xiǎo bái shǔ white mouse / lab mouse / lab rat / (fig.) human guinea pig 落汤鸡 落湯雞 luò tāng jī a person who looks drenched and bedraggled / like a drowned rat / deep distress syn 抱头鼠窜 抱頭鼠竄 bào tóu shǔ cuàn to cover one's head and sneak away like a rat (idiom) / to flee ignominiously syn 内鬼 內鬼 nèi guǐ mole / spy / rat / traitor 鼠药 鼠藥 shǔ yào rat poison syn 啮齿 嚙齒 niè chǐ a rodent (rat, rabbit etc) 鼠窜 鼠竄 shǔ cuàn to scamper off / to scurry off like a frightened rat 内卷 內捲 nèi juǎn (embryology) to involute / involution / (neologism c. 2017) (of a society) to become more and more of a rat race / to become increasingly competitive (due to limited resources) 灭鼠药 滅鼠藥 miè shǔ yào rat poison 冬 鼕 dōng (onom.) beating a drum / rat-a-tat syn 鼠 shǔ (bound form) rat / mouse syn 穷鼠啮狸 窮鼠嚙狸 qióng shǔ niè lí a desperate rat will bite the fox (idiom) / the smallest worm will turn being trodden on 印鼠客蚤 yìn shǔ kè zǎo oriental rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis) 子鼠 zǐ shǔ Year 1, year of the Rat (e.g. 2008) 打小报告 打小報告 dǎ xiǎo bào gào (coll.) to tattletale / to rat on sb 抱头鼠蹿 抱頭鼠躥 bào tóu shǔ cuān to cover one's head and sneak away like a rat (idiom) / to flee ignominiously / also written 抱頭鼠竄|抱头鼠窜 鼠年 shǔ nián Year of the Rat (e.g. 2008) 杀鼠药 殺鼠藥 shā shǔ yào rat poison 鼭 shí a kind of rat 负心汉 負心漢 fù xīn hàn traitor to one's love / heartless rat 躺平 tǎng píng to lie stretched out / (neologism c. 2021) to opt out of the rat race 𠳐 bāng (onom.) bang (door slamming shut etc) / rat-a-tat (knocking on a door etc) 跟踪 跟蹤 gēn zōng to follow sb's tracks / to tail / to shadow / tracking syn 尾巴 wěi ba tail / colloquial pr. [yi3 ba5] syn 尾巴 yǐ ba (coll.) tail (of an animal) syn 尾随 尾隨 wěi suí to tail behind / to tag along / to follow on the heels of syn 尾部 wěi bù back part / rear section / tail section syn 下摆 下擺 xià bǎi hem of a skirt / shirt tail 首尾 shǒu wěi head and tail syn 灰溜溜 huī liū liū dull gray / gloomy / dejected / crestfallen / with one's tail between one's legs syn 尾灯 尾燈 wěi dēng tail light (on vehicle) 开屏 開屏 kāi píng (a peacock) spreads its tail 貔貅 pí xiū mythical animal that brings luck and wards off evil, having head of a dragon and lion's body, often with hoofs, wings and tail / also written 辟邪 / fig. valiant soldier syn 盯梢 dīng shāo to follow sb / to tail / to shadow syn 畏首畏尾 wèi shǒu wèi wěi afraid of the head, terrified of the tail (idiom) / ever fearful and nervous / afraid of the slightest thing syn 摇头摆尾 搖頭擺尾 yáo tóu bǎi wěi to nod one's head and wag one's tail (idiom) / to be well pleased with oneself / to have a lighthearted air syn 尾鳍 尾鰭 wěi qí tail or caudal fin 藏头露尾 藏頭露尾 cáng tóu lù wěi to hide the head and show the tail (idiom) / to give a partial account / half-truths syn 巴 bā to long for / to wish / to cling to / to stick to / sth that sticks / close to / next to / spread open / informal abbr. for bus 巴士[ba1 shi4] / bar (unit of pressure) / nominalizing suffix on certain nouns, such as 尾巴[wei3 ba5], tail syn 云芝 雲芝 yún zhī turkey tail mushroom (Trametes versicolor) 翎子 líng zi peacock feathers on an official's hat displaying his rank (traditional) / pheasant tail feathers on warriors' helmets (opera) 尾 wěi tail / remainder / remnant / extremity / sixth of the 28 constellations / classifier for fish syn 尾 yǐ horse's tail / pointed posterior section of a locust etc syn 翎 líng tail feathers / plume syn 翟 dí long-tail pheasant syn 罡 gāng stars of the Big Dipper that constitute the tail of the dipper 纣 紂 zhòu crupper (harness strap running over a horse's hindquarters and under its tail) 旄 máo banner decorated with animal's tail syn 蕰 薀 yùn hippuris or mare's tail 鰤 shī Seriola qinqueradiata / yellow tail 尾大不掉 wěi dà bù diào large tail obstructs action (idiom) / bottom heavy / fig. rendered ineffective by subordinates 从头到尾 從頭到尾 cóng tóu dào wěi from start to finish / from head to tail / the whole (thing) syn 氂 máo tail / tuft of hair 长尾 長尾 cháng wěi long tail 亃 lín mythical animal, said to have yellow body and white tail 髾 shāo tail of a comet / long hair 天禄 天祿 tiān lù auspicious sculpted animal, usu. a unicorn or deer with a long tail / possession of the empire 夹起尾巴 夾起尾巴 jiā qǐ wěi ba to tuck one's tail between one's legs / fig. to back down / in a humiliating situation 尾子 wěi zi tail / end / small change / odd sum remaining after large round number syn 尾羽 wěi yǔ tail feathers 截尾 jié wěi to dock / to trim (esp. the tail of an animal) 机尾 機尾 jī wěi the rear (tail) of a plane etc 无功而返 無功而返 wú gōng ér fǎn to return without any achievement (idiom) / to go home with one's tail between one's legs 燕尾蝶 yān wěi dié swallow tail butterfly (family Papilionidae) 猪尾巴 豬尾巴 zhū wěi ba pig's tail (meat) 钉梢 釘梢 dīng shāo to follow sb / to tail / to shadow / also written 盯梢[ding1 shao1] 阿耳戈斯 ā ěr gē sī Argus / in Greek mythology, a monster with 100 eyes, transformed into peacock's tail 顶棒 頂棒 dǐng bàng bucking bar (metal bar fixing the tail of a rivet as it is driven) 首尾相接 shǒu wěi xiāng jiē to join head to tail / bumper-to-bumper (of traffic jam) 单尾检验 one-tail test 级联尾 jí lián yǐ cascade tail 尾料分析 tail assay 尾气分析 tail assay 双尾检验 shuāng yǐ jiǎn yàn two-tail test 