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树倒猢狲散

shù dǎo hú sūn sàndictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
When the tree topples the monkeys scatter. (idiom) / fig. an opportunist abandons an unfavorable cause / Rats leave a sinking ship.
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-33f8986686f1c72d. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

樹倒猢猻散 树倒猢狲散 [shu4 dao3 hu2 sun1 san4] /When the tree topples the monkeys scatter. (idiom); fig. an opportunist abandons an unfavorable cause/Rats leave a sinking ship./

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.

Other forms in these source records: 樹倒猢猻散

  • 树
    shù

    tree / CL:棵[kē] / to cultivate / to set up

  • 倒
    dǎo

    to fall / to collapse / to lie horizontally / to fail / to go bankrupt / to overthrow / to change (trains or buses) / to move around / to resell at a profit

    dào

    to invert / to place upside down or frontside back / to pour out / to tip out / to dump / inverted / upside down / reversed / to go backward / contrary to what one might expect / but / yet

  • 猢
    hú

    used in 猢猻|猢狲[hú sūn]

  • 狲
    sūn

    used in 猢猻|猢狲[hú sūn] / used in 兔猻|兔狲[tù sūn]

  • 散
    sàn

    to scatter / to break up (a meeting etc) / to disperse / to disseminate / to dispel / (coll.) to sack

    sǎn

    scattered / loose / to come loose / to fall apart / leisurely / powdered medicine

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.