衔
xián
bit (of a bridle)
to hold in the mouth; to harbor (feelings); to link; to accept; rank; title
metal (钅) + [sound] (行) = metal bit held in the mouth
The metal radical points to the iron or bronze bit placed in a horse's mouth, which then extended to anything gripped, held, or borne — a title, a rank, a grudge. 行 mainly carries the sound xián and does not add to the image.
那匹马嘴里衔着一根铁棒。
nà pǐ mǎ zuǐ lǐ xián zhe yī gēn tiě bàng。
that horse is holding an iron bar in its mouth.
她心里衔着一份说不出的委屈。
tā xīn lǐ xián zhe yī fèn shuō bu chū de wěi qu。
she harbors in her heart a grievance she cannot put into words.
Words with 衔
钳马衔枚
qián mǎ xián méi
with horses and soldiers gagged (idiom)
衔接
xián jiē
to link up; to connect; to join
领衔
lǐng xián
leading (role)
领衔主演
lǐng xián zhǔ yǎn
leading actors (in a show)
头衔
tóu xián
title
马衔
mǎ xián
bit
名衔
míng xián
rank
学衔
xué xián
academic title
官衔
guān xián
title
授衔
shòu xián
rank of professor
燕子衔泥垒大窝
yàn zi xián ní lěi dà wō
the swallow's nest is built one beakful of mud at a time (idiom)
结草衔环
jié cǎo xián huán
to repay sb's kind acts (idiom)