extra thumb or finger; superfluous and useless thing
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
syndactyly (joined toes) and polydactyly (extra finger); things that are superfluous or redundant
literaryA classical idiom derived from the Daoist text 'Zhuangzi'. It is primarily used in written, formal, or literary contexts to criticize something unnecessary or superfluous, often implying that it goes against the natural or essential state of things.
Zhè这
piān篇
wén文
zhāng章
lǐ里
yǒu有
xiē些
duàn段
luò落
jiǎn简
zhí直
shì是
pián骈
mǔ拇
zhī枝
zhǐ指
，
yīng应
gāi该
shān删
diào掉
。
Some paragraphs in this article are completely superfluous and should be deleted.
Zhè这
wèi位
shè设
jì计
shī师
zhuī追
qiú求
jí极
jiǎn简
，
rèn认
wéi为
duō多
yú余
de的
zhuāng装
shì饰
dōu都
shì是
pián骈
mǔ拇
zhī枝
zhǐ指
。
This designer pursues minimalism, believing that any superfluous decoration is unnecessary.
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Zhuāng庄
zǐ子
rèn认
wéi为
，
guò过
dù度
de的
rén仁
yì义
dào道
dé德
jiù就
rú如
pián骈
mǔ拇
zhī枝
zhǐ指
，
shì是
duì对
rén人
xìng性
de的
shù束
fù缚
。
Zhuangzi believed that excessive morality and benevolence are like superfluous appendages, a constraint on human nature.