zuǎn
verb #49,746

Meanings

  1. 1 to compile; to edit
  2. 2 to compile (a book, records)

Examples

Zhuānjiā tuánduì huā le shínián biān zuǎn zhè bù cídiǎn.
A team of experts spent ten years compiling this dictionary.
Zuǎnxiū de dìfāngzhì shì yánjiū dìfāng shǐ de zhòngyào zīliào.
Local gazetteers are an important source for studying regional history.

Tips

usage
is a formal word for editing and compiling large works, common in 编纂 (to compile) and 纂修 (to compile and revise, esp. gazetteers and annals).

Components

radical
silk; thread
The full silk radical at the bottom (not the compressed side-form). The image is gathering and tying threads together, which became the figurative sense of collecting and editing material into one work.
phonetic
suàn
to calculate; to plan
The large top element supplies the sound (related to suàn, drifting to zuǎn) and a faint flavor: compiling a big work takes careful planning. Standalone means to calculate.

Stroke Order

zuǎn