蘸

Top grass radical - the indexing component, even though 蘸 is not strictly botanical. The radical likely entered via the underlying 醮 phonetic, which historically involved offering with herbs at sacrificial rites. Modern 蘸 means 'to dip (into sauce / ink),' and the 艹 cap survives from that ritual origin.

Bottom 醮 supplies the sound - jiào shifts to zhàn through a long but attested phonetic drift in this family. 醮 itself is 酉 wine-jar plus 焦 phonetic, originally 'pouring wine at a Taoist ritual.' Treat the bottom block as a sound clue; the modern dipping sense comes entirely from 蘸's surface combination.