牢
animal pen; sacrificial animal; prison; firm
Meanings
5 senses · 22 examplesnoun
animal pen; livestock enclosure
Most commonly used in the idiom 亡羊补牢 to describe fixing a problem after losses occur.
It's never too late to mend the fold after a sheep is lost.
The farmer locked the sheep in the pen.
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This old livestock pen has been abandoned now.
You should fix the pen early to prevent the sheep from getting lost again.
Ancient people built livestock pens with firewood.
noun
sacrificial livestock; sacrificial victim
formalFormal literary term, rarely used in modern daily speech except in specific historical or academic contexts.
Ancient emperors would prepare three sacrificial animals for rituals.
Tai lao usually includes ox, sheep, and pig.
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This ritual only used shao lao, without oxen.
Ancient texts repeatedly record the rituals of sacrificial offerings with livestock.
Later generations often used lao to generally refer to sacrificial livestock.
noun
prison; jail
Standard term for prison in modern Chinese, used in both formal and informal contexts.
He was sent to prison for theft.
He spent five years in prison.
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This prisoner was transferred to a provincial prison.
After years in prison, he finally regained his freedom.
The police temporarily detained the suspect in a holding cell.
adjective
firm; solid; durable
Used to describe objects that are stable or memories that are long-lasting.
This city wall is extremely solid and unbreakable.
Please secure the lathe more firmly.
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Reviewing several times will help you remember the knowledge better.
The soles of these shoes are very durable; they haven't broken after two years of wear.
We built an unbreakable dam using steel and concrete.
noun
surname Lao
A relatively common Chinese surname.
My teacher's surname is Lao; everyone calls him Teacher Lao.
The surname Lao originated from an ancient official title.