lángyān

狼烟

Word · NounTraditional狼煙

signal fire of ancient frontier defense; beacon fire; war

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

2 senses · 5 examples
1.

noun

signal fire of ancient frontier defense; beacon fire

literary

Historically, wolf dung was believed to produce thick, vertical smoke columns ideal for signaling. Now primarily used in literary or historical contexts to refer to war signals.

Biān边
guān关
gào告
jí急
 ，
láng狼
yān烟
sì四
qǐ起
 。

The frontier was in crisis, with beacon fires rising everywhere.

Gǔ古
dài代
jiàng将
shì士
kàn看
dào到
láng狼
yān烟
 ，
biàn便
zhī知
dào道
yǒu有
dí敌
rén人
rù入
qīn侵
 。

When ancient soldiers saw the beacon fire, they knew an enemy invasion had occurred.

Show 1 more example
Shī诗
jù句
zhōng中
miáo描
huì绘
le了
gǔn滚
gǔn滚
láng狼
yān烟
de的
chǎng场
jǐng景
 。

The poem depicts the scene of billowing beacon smoke.

2.

noun

war; flames of war; conflict

literary

Used metaphorically in literature, poetry, and formal speech to refer to the outbreak or existence of war.

Nà那
ge个
shí时
dài代
láng狼
yān烟
bù不
duàn断
 ，
bǎi百
xìng姓
shēng生
huó活
kùn困
kǔ苦
 。

In that era, war was constant, and the common people lived in hardship.

Zhè这
yī一
zhǐ纸
hé和
píng平
xié协
yì议
 ，
zhōng终
yú于
xī熄
miè灭
le了
duō多
nián年
de的
láng狼
yān烟
 。

This peace treaty finally extinguished the flames of war that had lasted for years.