丝绸 絲綢 sī chóu silk cloth / silk syn 未雨绸缪 未雨綢繆 wèi yǔ chóu móu lit. before it rains, bind around with silk (idiom, from Book of Songs 詩經|诗经) / fig. to plan ahead / to prepare for a rainy day syn 丝线 絲線 sī xiàn silk thread (for sewing) / silk yarn (for weaving) syn 领口 領口 lǐng kǒu collar / neckband / neckline / the place where the two ends of a collar meet syn 真丝 真絲 zhēn sī silk / pure silk 绸缎 綢緞 chóu duàn satin / silk fabric syn 抽丝 抽絲 chōu sī to spin silk syn 丝网 絲網 sī wǎng silk screen / screen (printing) 阳关 陽關 yáng guān Yangguan or Southern Pass on the south Silk Road in Gansu, 70 km south of Dunhuang 敦煌 精练 精練 jīng liàn (textiles) to scour / to degum (silk) / variant of 精煉|精炼[jing1 lian4] syn 花红 花紅 huā hóng flowers on red silk (a traditional gift to celebrate weddings etc) / a bonus / crab apple (Malus asiatica) syn 织锦 織錦 zhī jǐn brocade / silk fabric with colored pattern 蚕丝 蠶絲 cán sī natural silk (secreted by silkworm) syn 绸子 綢子 chóu zi silk fabric / silk / CL:匹[pi3] syn 丝绸之路 絲綢之路 sī chóu zhī lù the Silk Road 绮罗 綺羅 qǐ luó beautiful silk fabrics / person in beautiful silk dress 丝路 絲路 sī lù the Silk Road / abbr. for 絲綢之路|丝绸之路[Si1 chou2 zhi1 Lu4] 八音 bā yīn ancient classification system for musical instruments, based on the material of which the instrument is made (metal 金, stone 石, clay 土, leather 革, silk 絲|丝, wood 木, gourd 匏, bamboo 竹) / the eight kinds of sound produced by instruments in these categories / music 河西走廊 hé xī zǒu láng Hexi Corridor (or Gansu Corridor), a string of oases running the length of Gansu, forming part of the Northern Silk Road 浣纱 浣紗 huàn shā to wash silk 纺丝 紡絲 fǎng sī to spin synthetic fiber / to spin silk / spinning / filature 吐丝 吐絲 tǔ sī (of spiders, caterpillars, silkworms etc) to extrude silk 化干戈为玉帛 化幹戈為玉帛 huà gān gē wéi yù bó lit. to exchange weapons of war for gifts of jade and silk (idiom) / fig. to turn hostility into friendship syn 丝织品 絲織品 sī zhī pǐn item made from woven silk or rayon syn 布帛 bù bó cloth and silk / cotton and silk textiles syn 生丝 生絲 shēng sī raw silk syn 吐 tǔ to spit / to send out (silk from a silkworm, bolls from cotton flowers etc) / to say / to pour out (one's grievances) syn 丝 絲 sī silk / thread-like thing / (cuisine) shreds or julienne strips / classifier: a trace (of smoke etc), a tiny bit etc syn 练 練 liàn to practice / to train / to drill / to perfect (one's skill) / exercise / (literary) white silk / to boil and scour raw silk syn 素 sù raw silk / white / plain, unadorned / vegetarian (food) / essence / nature / element / constituent / usually / always / ever syn 伞 傘 sǎn damask silk / variant of 傘|伞[san3] syn 币 幣 bì money / coins / currency / silk syn 缇 緹 tí orange-red silk / orange-red colored 绢 絹 juàn thin, tough silk fabric 绫 綾 líng damask / thin silk 纺 紡 fǎng to spin (cotton or hemp etc) / fine woven silk fabric syn 绸 綢 chóu (light) silk / CL:匹[pi3] syn 绮 綺 qǐ beautiful / open-work silk syn 纂 zuǎn (literary) to compile / to edit / (coll.) (hairstyle) bun / chignon (as 纂兒|纂儿[zuan3r5]) / red silk ribbon / variant of 纘|缵[zuan3] syn 纨 紈 wán white / white silk syn 笔套 筆套 bǐ tào the cap of a pen, pencil or writing brush / the sheath of a pen (made of cloth, silk or thread) syn 绵里藏针 綿裡藏針 mián lǐ cáng zhēn lit. a needle concealed in silk floss (idiom) / fig. ruthless character behind a gentle appearance / a wolf in sheep's clothing / an iron fist in a velvet glove syn 绎 繹 yì continuous / to interpret / to unravel / to draw silk (old) 帛 bó silk syn 绯 緋 fēi dark red / purple silk syn 缥 縹 piǎo (literary) light blue / (literary) light blue silk fabric 缯 繒 zēng silk fabrics syn 缟素 縞素 gǎo sù white silk mourning dress syn 缂丝 緙絲 kè sī kesi or k’o-ssu, Chinese silk tapestry woven in a pictorial design 竹帛 zhú bó bamboo and silk writing materials (before paper) syn 纶 綸 lún to classify / to twist silk / silk thread syn 缫 繅 sāo to reel silk from cocoons 绌 絀 chù crimson silk / deficiency / to stitch syn 缙 縉 jìn red silk syn 缦 縵 màn plain thin silk / slow / unadorned 纰 紕 pī error / carelessness / spoiled silk 缟 縞 gǎo plain white silk syn 缁 緇 zī Buddhists / black silk / dark syn 繻 xū fine silk 缣 縑 jiān thick waterproof silk syn 绡 綃 xiāo raw silk syn 縠 hú fine silk gauze 纩 纊 kuàng fine floss-silk or cotton 絁 shī rough, indelicate silk 紬 chóu silk 马可波罗 馬可波羅 mǎ kě bō luó Marco Polo (1254-c. 1324), Venetian trader and explorer who traveled the Silk road to China, author of Il Milione (Travels of Marco Polo) 糸 mì fine silk / Kangxi radical 120 楼兰 樓蘭 lóu lán Loulan, aka Kroraina, ancient oasis town on the Silk Road near Lop Nor 羅布泊|罗布泊[Luo2 bu4 po1] 綎 tīng silk braided cord 䌷 紬 chóu silk 缲 繰 sāo to reel silk from cocoons syn 贉 tǎn pay an advance / silk book cover 纴 紝 rèn to weave / to lay warp for weaving / silk thread for weaving / variant of 紉|纫, to sew / to stitch / thread 絓 kuā type of coarse silk / bag used to wrap silk before washing 綅 qīn red silk crest of helmet 緅 zōu purple silk 抽丝剥茧 抽絲剝繭 chōu sī bāo jiǎn lit. to spin silk from cocoons / fig. to make a painstaking investigation (idiom) 絍 rèn to weave / to lay warp for weaving / variant of 紝|纴[ren4], silk thread for weaving 絣 bǐng Ikat, a type of woven silk / Kasuri 绦带 絛帶 tāo dài silk ribbon / silk braid 薄绸 薄綢 báo chóu light silk / silk chiffon 𬣙 訏 xū to boast / great / large / multicolored silk / piece of silk torn in two, used to verify the holder's identity by matching up the two halves 布帛菽粟 bù bó shū sù cloth, silk, beans and grain / food and clothing / daily necessities 厂丝 廠絲 chǎng sī filature silk 紞 dǎn silk fringe of a coronet 紑 fóu bright / glossy (of silk) 絖 kuàng fine floss-silk or cotton 湅 liàn to boil raw silk (to soften and clean it) 綪 qiàn dark red color (of silk product) 縃 xū fine silk 纚 xǐ silk headband / Taiwan pr. [shi3] 乃堆拉 nǎi duī lā Nathu La (Himalayan pass on Silk Road between Tibet and Indian Sikkim) 乃堆拉山口 nǎi duī lā shān kǒu Nathu La (Himalayan pass on the Silk Road between Tibet and the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim) 帛画 帛畫 bó huà painting on silk 李希霍芬 lǐ xī huò fēn Ferdinand von Richthofen (1833-1905), German geologist and explorer who published a major foundational study of the geology of China in 1887 and first introduced the term Silk Road 絲綢之路|丝绸之路 柘丝 柘絲 zhè sī silk from worms fed on 柘[zhe4] leaves 梅萨林 梅薩林 méi sà lín muslin or mousseline silk fabric 熟丝 熟絲 shú sī silk raw material (prepared by boiling in soap) 犁靬 lí jiān Han dynasty name for countries in far West / may refer to Silk Road states or Alexandria or the Roman empire 