to herd

surname Mu; to breed livestock; to govern (old); government official (old)

ox (牛) + prod (攵) = herd livestock

攵 is a simplified form of 攴, depicting a hand wielding a stick — the action of driving or striking. Together, the ox and the prod evoke a herder keeping livestock in line.

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Hand holding a stickSemantic
OxSemantic

他家世代以羊为生。

tā jiā shì dài yǐ mù yáng wéi shēng。

His family has herded sheep for generations to make a living.

草原上民每天早出晚归,辛苦地牧牛牧马。

cǎo yuán shàng mù mín měi tiān zǎo chū wǎn guī,xīn kǔ de mù niú mù mǎ。

On the grasslands, herders go out early and return late every day, working hard to herd cattle and horses.

Words with 牧

游牧

yóu mù

nomadic

边牧

biān mù

border collie (dog breed)

院牧

yuàn mù

abbot (Christian)

冏牧

jiǒng mù

minister of the imperial stud, originally charged with horse breeding

卑以自牧

bēi yǐ zì mù

(idiom) to conduct oneself humbly; modest

吴自牧

wú zì mù

Wu Zimu (lived c. 1270), writer at the end of the Song dynasty

德牧

dé mù

German shepherd

放牧

fàng mù

to graze (livestock)

杜牧

dù mù

Du Mu (803-852) Tang dynasty poet

归牧

guī mù

to return from pasture

牧人

mù rén

shepherd

牧区

mù qū

grazing land

More characters with 牛