scrape together resources; exhaust all sources of funds
Meanings
2 senses · 4 examplesverb
(historical) to catch sparrows with nets and dig for rats to stave off starvation during a siege
archaicDerived from the story of Zhang Xun defending Suiyang during the An Lushan Rebellion, as recorded in the New Book of Tang (《新唐书·张巡传》). Describes the desperate measures taken when food supplies are completely cut off during a siege. Now rarely used in this literal sense outside of historical discussion.
The defending army ran out of grain and, having no other choice, caught sparrows and dug for rats to barely satisfy their hunger.
verb
to scrape together funds by every possible means; to exhaust all sources in search of money or materials
literaryModern metaphorical usage derived from the historical allusion. Implies exhausting every possible avenue—no matter how meager—to raise funds or gather resources. Often used in financial or economic contexts to describe desperate fund-raising. Common collocations include 多方罗掘 (raising funds from various sources), 罗掘俱穷 (having exhausted all sources), and 罗掘一空 (cleaning out everything).
To survive the crisis, the company scraped together funds from every possible source before finally collecting the required capital.
After years of war, the local people had exhausted every resource and were unable to bear any additional taxes.
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To buy that famous painting, he nearly exhausted every penny he had, selling off all his family assets.