濯

A phono-semantic compound:

水 (water) — semantic component, clearly marks the action as involving water

翟 (pheasant) — phonetic component, supplies the pronunciation and contributes no semantic meaning in this character

The original meaning of 濯 is:

- to wash something thoroughly in water

- to rinse or cleanse by immersion or repeated washing

It often implies active, deliberate washing, not merely wetting.

From its basic physical meaning, 濯 developed additional nuances:

- purification or cleansing (especially in ritual or literary contexts)

- metaphorical cleansing, such as washing away moral impurity or disgrace

Because of this, the character appears frequently in classical Chinese texts, poetry, and formal expressions.

세탁 (洗濯) — washing; laundry

탁발 (濯髮) — washing the hair (literary / classical)

濯 emphasizes water-based cleansing, often with a sense of refreshing or purifying.

Conceptual contrast:

洗 — to wash (general)

濯 — to rinse; to wash thoroughly

浄 — to purify

漂 — to wash by soaking / floating