Sources & editorial notes
Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.
Source record: cd-0f3b8858c83c0733. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.
Original source entry:
投鼠忌器 投鼠忌器 [tou2 shu3 ji4 qi4] /lit. to refrain from shooting at the rat for fear of breaking the vases (idiom)/to not act against an evil so as to prevent harm to innocents/Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.
Reference information
The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.
Character information
View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.
to throw (sth in a specific direction: ball, javelin, grenade etc) / to cast (a ballot) / to cast (a glance, a shadow etc) / to put in (money for investment, a coin to operate a slot machine) / to send (a letter, a manuscript etc) / to throw oneself into (a river, a well etc to commit suicide) / to go to / to seek refuge / to place oneself into the hands of / (coll.) to rinse (clothes) in water
device / tool / utensil / CL:臺|台[]
Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.