fire and smoke; cooked food; war; descendants
Meanings
4 senses · 12 examplesnoun
smoke and fire; open flame
Often used in safety warnings regarding open flames.
Smoking and open flames are strictly prohibited at the construction site.
They lit a fire and started cooking.
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The cave was filled with the smell of smoke and fire.
noun
cooked food; food prepared with fire
literaryPrimarily used in the literary phrase '不食人间烟火'.
He lives above worldly concerns, reclusively dwelling in the mountains.
This ethereal woman seemed to survive without earthly food.
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Daoist practice sometimes emphasizes staying away from cooked food.
noun
beacon fire; war; flames of war
literaryLiterary usage referring to warfare or border signals.
War broke out on the frontier, and the people were displaced.
In ancient times, beacon fires were used as signals on the borders.
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The flames of war reached the heavens, and fighting continued unabated.
noun
sacrificial offerings to ancestors; descendants; posterity
archaicArchaic usage referring to family line and descendants.
He had no children, and it seemed his family line would soon end.
Continuing the family line was an important concept for ancient people.
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The family line was cut off, and there were no descendants.