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擦枪走火

cā qiāng zǒu huǒdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
to shoot accidentally while polishing a gun / (fig.) a minor incident that sparks a war
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-47de182c1c69b3e5. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

擦槍走火 擦枪走火 [ca1 qiang1 zou3 huo3] /to shoot accidentally while polishing a gun/(fig.) a minor incident that sparks a war/

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: 擦槍走火

  • 擦
    cā

    to rub / to scratch / to wipe / to polish / to apply (lipstick, lotion etc) / to brush (past) / to shred (a vegetable etc)

  • 枪
    qiāng

    gun / firearm / rifle / spear / thing with shape or function similar to a gun / CL:支[zhī],把[bǎ],桿|杆[gǎn],條|条[tiáo],枝[zhī] / to substitute for another person in a test / to knock / classifier for rifle shots

    Qiāng

    surname Qiang

  • 走
    zǒu

    to walk / to go / to run / to move (of vehicle) / to visit / to leave / to go away / to die (euph.) / from / through / away (in compound verbs, such as 撤走[chè zǒu]) / to change (shape, form, meaning)

  • 火
    huǒ

    fire / urgent / ammunition / fiery or flaming / internal heat (Chinese medicine) / hot (popular) / classifier for military units (old) / Kangxi radical 86

    Huǒ

    surname Huo

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.