xiàn

thread

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components
糹 meaning component

  Meaning component

  

silk

is a component form of .

泉 sound component

  Sound component

quán

  

spring

Evolution

線 Seal script Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal script

Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
線 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
線 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
線 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

xiàn

thread, line, wire; clue

线 () 

xiàn

thread; string; wire; line; CL:|[tiáo],[gǔ],[gēn]; (after a number) tier (unofficial ranking of a Chinese city)

Most common words with 線
Freq.
Word
Meaning

线

thread

线索

trail

路线

itinerary

线路

line

热线

hotline (communications link)