蛇头 蛇頭 shé tóu head of a snake / human smuggler 打草惊蛇 打草驚蛇 dǎ cǎo jīng shé lit. beat the grass to scare the snake (idiom) / fig. to inadvertently alert an enemy / to punish sb as a warning to others 抽取 chōu qǔ to extract / to remove / to draw (a sales commission, venom from a snake etc) 毒虫 毒蟲 dú chóng poisonous insect (or spider etc) / venomous snake / (slang) junkie 蛇毒 shé dú snake venom 蜿蜒 wān yán (of a snake) to wriggle along / (of a river etc) to zigzag / to meander / to wind syn 蛇形 shé xíng S-shaped / serpentine / coiled like a snake 画蛇添足 畫蛇添足 huà shé tiān zú lit. draw legs on a snake (idiom) / fig. to ruin the effect by adding sth superfluous / to overdo it 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 水蛇 shuǐ shé water snake syn 脱皮 脫皮 tuō pí (of paint etc) to peel off / to flake off / (of an insect or snake etc) to molt / (of skin) to peel off due to hard labor, blistering or sunburn etc / (fig.) to go through a grueling experience syn 引蛇出洞 yǐn shé chū dòng lit. to pull a snake from its hole / to expose a malefactor (idiom) syn 小青 xiǎo qīng name of a person, Xiaoqing, from Madam White Snake 同室操戈 tóng shì cāo gē wielding the halberd within the household (idiom) / internecine strife syn 咬伤 咬傷 yǎo shāng bite (e.g. snake bite, mosquito bite) 许仙 許仙 xǔ xiān name of a person, Xu Xian, from Madam White Snake 白蛇传 白蛇傳 bái shé zhuàn Tale of the White Snake / Madame White Snake 雷峰塔 léi fēng tǎ Leifeng Pagoda, by West Lake until it was destroyed (also from Madam White Snake) 竹叶青 竹葉青 zhú yè qīng Trimeresurus stejnegeri (poisonous snake) 蛇皮 shé pí snake skin 蛇胆 蛇膽 shé dǎn snake gall (used in TCM) 金山寺 jīn shān sì Jinshan Temple, where Fahai lives (from Madam White Snake) 长虫 長蟲 cháng chong (coll.) snake syn 蛇 shé snake / serpent / CL:條|条[tiao2] syn 戟 jǐ halberd / long-handled weapon with pointed tip and crescent blade / combined spear and battle-ax 巳 sì 6th earthly branch: 9-11 a.m., 4th solar month (5th May-5th June), year of the Snake / ancient Chinese compass point: 150° 蛇岛 蛇島 shé dǎo Shedao or Snake island in Bohai sea 渤海 off Lüshun 旅順|旅顺 on the tip of the Liaoning peninsula, small rocky island famous for snakes 菜瓜 cài guā snake melon / loofah syn 芯子 xìn zi fuse / wick / forked tongue (of a snake) syn 杯弓蛇影 bēi gōng shé yǐng lit. to see a bow reflected in a cup as a snake (idiom) / fig. unnecessary suspicions / overly fearful syn 蝮 fù insect / poisonous snake (archaic) 虺 huǐ mythical venomous snake 蛇年 shé nián Year of the Snake (e.g. 2001) 一年被蛇咬十年怕井绳 一年被蛇咬十年怕井繩 yī nián bèi shé yǎo shí nián pà jǐng shéng bitten by a snake in one year, fears the well rope for ten years (idiom) / once bitten twice shy 佛口蛇心 fó kǒu shé xīn words of a Buddha, heart of a snake (idiom) / two-faced / malicious and duplicitous syn 强龙不压地头蛇 強龍不壓地頭蛇 qiáng lóng bù yā dì tóu shé lit. strong dragon cannot repress a snake (idiom) / fig. a local gangster who is above the law 虵 shé variant of 蛇, snake 镻 dié name of poisonous snake in ancient text 养虎伤身 養虎傷身 yǎng hǔ shāng shēn Rear a tiger and court disaster. (idiom) / fig. if you're too lenient with sb, he will damage you later / to cherish a snake in one's bosom 养虎遗患 養虎遺患 yǎng hǔ yí huàn Rear a tiger and court disaster. (idiom) / fig. if you're too lenient with sb, he will damage you later / to cherish a snake in one's bosom 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 人心不足蛇吞象 rén xīn bù zú shé tūn xiàng a man who is never content is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant (idiom) 钑 鈒 sà (literary) small halberd with an iron handle, used as a weapon or agricultural tool / (literary) to inlay / Taiwan pr. [se4] 白素贞 白素貞 bái sù zhēn (name of a person) Bai Suzhen, from Madame White Snake 法海 fǎ hǎi Fahai, name of the evil Buddhist monk in Tale of the White Snake 白蛇傳|白蛇传[Bai2 she2 Zhuan4] 蚹 fù scales on the belly of a snake, aiding locomotion / snail / to crawl 蛇鲭 蛇鯖 shé qīng snake 小龙 小龍 xiǎo lóng snake (as one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals 生肖[sheng1 xiao4]) 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井繩 yī zhāo bèi shé yǎo , shí nián pà jǐng shéng lit. once bitten by a snake, one is scared all one's life at the mere sight of a rope (saying) / fig. once bitten, twice shy 三索锦蛇 三索錦蛇 sān suǒ jǐn shé copperhead race (Elaphe radiata), kind of snake 人头蛇身 人頭蛇身 rén tóu shé shēn human head, snake's body / cf Nüwa 女媧氏|女娲氏[Nu:3 wa1 shi4] and Fuxi 伏羲氏[Fu2 Xi1 shi4] in some versions of mythology 巳蛇 sì shé Year 6, year of the Snake (e.g. 2001) 打蛇不死 dǎ shé bù sǐ beat the snake to death or it will cause endless calamity (idiom) / nip the problem in the bud 打蛇不死，后患无穷 打蛇不死，後患無窮 dǎ shé bù sǐ , hòu huàn wú qióng (idiom) if you beat the snake without killing it, endless evils will ensue 摩喉罗伽 摩睺羅伽 mó hóu luó jiā Mahoraga, snake's headed Indian deity / a protector deity of Buddhist law 竹叶青蛇 竹葉青蛇 zhú yè qīng shé Trimeresurus stejnegeri (poisonous snake) 翠青蛇 cuì qīng shé Entechinus major (kind of snake) 虺蜥 huǐ xī venomous snake / fig. vicious person 蛇岛蝮 蛇島蝮 shé dǎo fù Snake island viper (Gloydius shedaoensis), feeding on migrating birds 蛇足 shé zú lit. legs on a snake / sth superfluous syn 颊窝 頰窩 jiá wō dimple / heat-sensing facial pit of a snake 黑眉蝮蛇 hēi méi fù shé Snake island viper (Gloydius shedaoensis), feeding on migrating birds 短趾雕 短趾鵰 duǎn zhǐ diāo (bird species of China) short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus) 蛇鲭鱼 shé qīng yú snake mackerel 游蛇 yóu shé water snake / colubrid / racer 摩睺罗伽 摩睺羅伽 mó hóu luó jiā Mahoraga, snake's headed Indian deity / a protector deity of Buddhist law 越瓜 yuè guā snake melon syn 丈八蛇矛 zhàng bā shé máo ancient spear-like weapon 18 Chinese feet 尺[chi3] in length, with a wavy spearhead like a snake's body 蛇矛 shé máo ancient spear-like weapon with a wavy spearhead like a snake's body 虎尾兰 虎尾蘭 hǔ wěi lán snake plant aka mother-in-law's tongue (Dracaena trifasciata) 笔走龙蛇 筆走龍蛇 bǐ zǒu lóng shé lit. the brush flows with the fluidity of a dragon or snake (idiom) / fig. (of brushwork, esp for calligraphy) lively / vigorous 蛇信 shé xìn snake's tongue 