📖 Meaning
This idiom describes the appearance of an elderly person whose eyebrows are mixed black and white and whose hair has turned snow white. It vividly portrays the physical signs of advanced age.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom has no single definitive origin text. It is a classical descriptive phrase combining 尨 (variegated or mixed-colored), 眉 (eyebrows), 皓 (bright white), and 发 (hair). Similar expressions such as 庞眉皓发 appear in classical Chinese literature describing the dignified appearance of elderly scholars. The idiom reflects the traditional Chinese reverence for age and the wisdom it represents.
💡 Example Usage
那位尨眉皓发的老人每天清晨都在公园散步。
The elderly man with grizzled eyebrows and snow-white hair took a walk in the park every morning.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 尨眉皓发
- Pinyin: chóu méi hào fā
- Literal Translation: variegated eyebrows, white hair
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4