📖 Meaning
A variant of the idiom 厉兵秣马. It describes the act of making active preparations for battle, including organizing weapons and provisioning horses. The phrase conveys a state of military readiness and readiness to fight.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom 束兵秣马 is closely related to the more commonly seen 厉兵秣马. The character 束 means to arrange or organize, 兵 refers to weapons, 秣 means to feed horses with fodder, and 马 means horses. Together they depict the essential military preparations ancient Chinese soldiers undertook before engaging in combat — sharpening and arranging their weapons while ensuring their horses were well-fed and rested. The phrase is not attributed to any single historical text or specific figure. It reflects a universal practice in ancient warfare where logistical readiness was as critical as combat skill itself.
💡 Example Usage
面对强敌入侵，将士们束兵秣马，誓死保卫家园。
Facing the invasion of a powerful enemy, the soldiers organized their weapons and fed their horses, vowing to defend their homeland to the death.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 束兵秣马
- Pinyin: shù bīng mò mǎ
- Literal Translation: organize weapons, feed horses
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4