lín kě jué jǐngdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
lit. not to dig a well until one is thirsty / to be unprepared and seek help at the last minute (idiom)
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-ab88922c58586fa3. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

臨渴掘井 临渴掘井 [lin2 ke3 jue2 jing3] /lit. not to dig a well until one is thirsty/to be unprepared and seek help at the last minute (idiom)/

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Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

Other forms in these source records: 臨渴掘井

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

临渴掘井
Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.