牙籤

牙籤

1. toothpick (stick for removing food residue from the area between the teeth)
2. (archaic) ivory book label

   • 鄴侯家多書，插架三萬軸。
     一一懸牙籤，新若手未觸。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     邺侯家多书，插架三万轴。
     一一悬牙签，新若手未触。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: Han Yu (768–824),《送諸葛覺往隨州讀書》 (Sending Zhuge Jue Off to Suizhou for Book-Reading)

     Yè hóu jiā duō shū, chā jià sānwàn zhóu.
     Yīyī xuán yáqiān, xīn ruò shǒu wèi chù. [Pinyin]

     The Lord of Ye's house holds many books, countless scrolls on shelves;
     Each hung with ivory tags, pristine as untouched by hands.

3. (literary, metonymic) book collection

   • 讀遍牙籤三萬軸，卻來小邑試牛刀。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     读遍牙签三万轴，却来小邑试牛刀。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: Su Shi (1037–1101),《送歐陽主簿赴官韋城四首》（其一）

     Dú biàn yáqiān sānwàn zhóu, què lái xiǎo yì shì niúdāo. [Pinyin]

     Having read all thirty thousand volumes, now to this small town you will bring your seasoned skill.

(toothpick):

(book collection):

• 藏書／藏书 (cángshū)