Hai Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Tooth (chǐ) Character: qǔ Kangxi stroke count: 24 Page 1535, Entry 05 Pronounced qǔ. Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Simple and Compound Characters): Tooth decay. Shiming (Explanation of Names): Qǔ means to decay. Worms gnaw at the tooth, causing it to chip and rot. Guangya (Expanded Encyclopedia): Qǔ refers to a disease. Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Biography of Cang Gong: The Middle Grand Master of Qi suffered from tooth decay. Book of the Later Han (Hou Hanshu), Biography of Liang Ji: The wife of Liang Ji was capable of a tooth-decay smile. Annotation: The Fengsu Tong (Comprehensive Meaning of Customs) says: A tooth-decay smile is a smile that appears forced or unhappy, as if one has a toothache. Huainanzi (Book of the Master of Huainan), Sayings of the Mountains: Cutting the lip to treat tooth decay. Also, according to the Zheng Yun (Correct Rhymes), qǔ refers to the appearance of teeth opening. Also pronounced jǔ. The meaning is the same.