líng

蛉

Character · Noun

insect name; foster son

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

2 senses · 4 examples
1.

noun

sandfly (insect of family Psychodidae)

technical

Refers specifically to the sandfly, a small biting insect that can transmit diseases.

Bái白
líng蛉
kě可
yǐ以
chuán传
bō播
hēi黑
rè热
bìng病
 。

Sandflies can transmit kala-azar.

Rè热
dài带
dì地
qū区
yào要
zhù注
yì意
yù预
fáng防
bái白
líng蛉
dīng叮
yǎo咬
 。

In tropical regions, one must be careful to prevent sandfly bites.

2.

noun

foster son; adopted son (literary usage)

archaic

An archaic, literary term derived from the biological observation that certain wasps (蜾蠃) carry caterpillars (螟蛉) to their nests as food for their larvae, mistakenly thought to be raising them as their own. Used metaphorically for an adopted son.

Tā他
shōu收
míng螟
líng蛉
wéi为
zǐ子
 ，
dài待
rú如
jǐ己
chū出
 。

He adopted a foster son and treated him as his own.

míng螟
líng蛉
zhī之
zǐ子

an adopted son