léi
蔂
earthen basket; bamboo basket for carrying soil
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
earthen basket; bamboo or wicker basket used for carrying earth or soil (in ancient times)
archaicA literary/archaic term (书) found in classical texts. Refers to a woven basket used in ancient construction or farming for transporting dirt. Often mentioned alongside 笼 (lóng, cage/basket) as 虆笼.
Léi虆
，
gǔ古
rén人
fù负
tǔ土
zhī之
qì器
yě也
。
Lei is the utensil by which ancient people carried earth on their backs.
Tā他
men们
shǒu手
chí持
léi虆
lóng笼
，
jiāng将
ní泥
tǔ土
yùn运
zhì至
dī堤
àn岸
。
They held lei baskets and cages in their hands, transporting mud to the embankment.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Wéi为
shān山
jiǔ九
rèn仞
，
gōng功
kuī亏
yī一
kuì篑
；
ruò若
yòng用
léi虆
yùn运
tǔ土
，
qí其
xiào效
bèi倍
zēng增
。
To build a mountain nine ren high, one basket short ruins the effort; but if using lei baskets to transport earth, the efficiency would double.