餮
(literary) greedy; gluttonous
Closest English meanings
gluttonous·greedy
The Calligrapher — Ōuyáng Tōng 欧阳通
Tang regular-script master known for powerful, square strokes.
Tang calligrapher (?–691), master of regular script — known for 《道因法师碑》. Tang dynasty
Cultural Story
餮 (tiè) pairs 食 with the phonetic 殄. 《説文解字》 says 貪也, “greedy.” Together with 饕 it names 饕餮, a gluttonous beast of myth — listed among the 四凶 in early texts — forever ravenous and unable to be filled.
Common words & phrases
- 饕餮 glutton · voracious eater · monster
Read the story behind the character
In the modern world
餮 survives mainly in 饕餮 (glutton, voracious eater), used for someone who eats without stop or for lavish feasts. Bronze vessels of the Shang dynasty were cast with 饕餮 masks, turning the greedy monster into enduring art.
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