feed livestock; keep in one's pay
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesverb
to raise and feed (livestock or animals)
formalLiteral meaning, referring to providing food and care to domesticated animals.
Zhè这
ge个
nóng农
chǎng场
huàn豢
yǎng养
le了
shàng上
bǎi百
tóu头
niú牛
yáng羊
。
This farm raises and feeds hundreds of cattle and sheep.
Zài在
gǔ古
dài代
，
guì贵
zú族
jiā家
tíng庭
cháng常
cháng常
huàn豢
yǎng养
liè猎
quǎn犬
。
In ancient times, noble families often kept hunting dogs.
verb
to keep in one's pay; to maintain; to foster for one's own purposes
derogatoryMetaphorical meaning, often derogatory, implying the subject is controlled and used like a tool or pet. The object is usually a person or group.
Tā他
bèi被
jiē揭
lù露
sī私
xià下
huàn豢
yǎng养
le了
yī一
pī批
dǎ打
shǒu手
。
He was exposed for privately maintaining a group of thugs in his pay.
Nà那
ge个
dú独
cái裁
zhě者
huàn豢
yǎng养
le了
yī一
ge个
páng庞
dà大
de的
tè特
wù务
xì系
tǒng统
。
That dictator fostered a vast secret police system for his own purposes.
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Zhè这
xiē些
yù御
yòng用
wén文
rén人
dōu都
shì是
bèi被
zhèng政
fǔ府
huàn豢
yǎng养
de的
。
These hired pens are all kept in the government's pay.