螅 (xī): (in 水螅) hydra, a small freshwat…

Meanings

水螅是一种口周长着触手的淡水小动物。

Shuǐxī shì yìzhǒng kǒu zhōu zhǎng zhe chùshǒu de dànshuǐ xiǎo dòngwù.

The hydra is a tiny freshwater animal with tentacles around its mouth.

今天生物课学了水螅的结构。

Jīntiān shēngwùkè xué le shuǐxī de jiégòu.

Biology class today studied the structure of the hydra.

usage

螅 is a bound character, only in 水螅 (hydra), a tiny tentacled freshwater polyp often met in biology textbooks for its simple body and regeneration.

radical

虫 chóng

insect; small creature

虫 is the bug radical, here left-side. It broadly covers small creeping or crawling creatures, so the tiny 水螅 polyp sits under it.

phonetic

息 xī

breath; to rest

息 supplies the exact sound xī. Its meaning 'breath, rest' is unrelated; it works only as the phonetic beside the bug radical.

螅 xī