殖

zhí
#1,436 most
frequent character
to grow, to reproduce

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

殖 joins 歹 carcass with 直 zhí as the sound part. It first meant the rotting fat of a dead body. The 'breed, reproduce' sense was borrowed only for its sound, then grew to 'grow' and 'colonize'.

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Homophones

HSK 5
直zhí
straight, to straighten
值zhí
value, be worth
执zhí
to execute (a plan), to grasp
职zhí
office, duty
植zhí
to plant

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