wéi
verb/noun #1,933

Meanings

  1. 1 to hold together
  2. 2 dimension
  3. 3 fiber

Examples

Wéihù
to maintain; to defend
Sīwéi
thinking; thought
Wéishēngsù
vitamin

Tips

memory
(silk) + (bird) — threads holding a net together

Components

radical
silk thread (radical form)
Left silk-radical — the indexing radical. Preserves the original meaning: a rope or net of cords lashing something together. From 'binding cord' came the abstract senses 'maintain, hold together,' and the modern technical reading (dimension, fiber). Family: (tie), (bind), (continue).
phonetic
zhuī
short-tailed bird
Right supplies the sound (zhuī → wéi, an irregular but established alternation seen also in /). Faint semantic echo: the original picture of a bird tied with retrieval cords contributed to the 'binding / holding fast' nuance, but the phonetic role dominates.

Stroke Order

wéi