poison

Depicts poisonous insects () placed in a container (). Alludes to the practice of cultivating poisonous insects inside a container by letting all of the insects devour each other until one poisonous insects remains to use as poison.

Components
蟲 iconic component

  Iconic component

chóng

  

insects

Used here to depict poisonous insects.

皿 iconic component

  Iconic component

mǐn

  

dish

Evolution

蠱 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
蠱 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
蠱 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
蠱 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

poison; venom; harm; bewitch; arch. legendary venomous insect; to poison; to bewitch; to drive to insanity; to harm by witchcraft; intestinal parasite

Most common words with 蠱
Freq.
Word
Meaning

to poison

蛊惑

to poison

蛊惑人心

to resort to demagogy