yǐ​yí​zhì​yí

to use foreigners to control foreigners

  • created reference approved 以夷制夷 → 以夷伐夷 (same_as) — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    以夷制夷 yǐ​yí​zhì​yí

    以夷伐夷 yǐ​yí​fá​yí

    same_as

    Changed: source (simp), source (trad), source pinyin, target (simp), target (trad), target pinyin, type

    created reference

  • created reference approved 以夷制夷 → 以夷治夷 (same_as) — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    以夷制夷 yǐ​yí​zhì​yí

    以夷治夷 yǐ​yí​zhì​yí

    same_as

    Changed: source (simp), source (trad), source pinyin, target (simp), target (trad), target pinyin, type

    created reference

  • created sense approved 以夷制夷 · yǐ​yí​zhì​yí · to use foreigners to control foreigners — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    以夷制夷

    yǐ​yí​zhì​yí

    to use foreigners to control foreigners

    (idiom) To play off one foreign power against another; to use foreigners to subdue other foreigners. Historically used to describe the policy of letting different groups of outsiders fight among themselves to weaken them. Also used as a late Qing slogan for adopting Western technology to defend against foreign imperialism.

    以 (literal) → 以 · yǐ · by means of 夷 (literal) → 夷 · yí · foreigners 制 (literal) → 制 · zhì · to control 夷 (literal) → 夷 · yí · foreigners

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense

  • created sense approved 以夷制夷 · yǐ​yí​zhì​yí · countering imperialism with technology — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    以夷制夷

    yǐ​yí​zhì​yí

    countering imperialism with technology

    A late Qing modernizing slogan advocating for the adoption of Western science and technology to defend against foreign encroachment

    以 (literal) → 以 · yǐ · by means of 夷 (literal) → 夷 · yí · foreigners 制 (literal) → 制 · zhì · to control 夷 (literal) → 夷 · yí · foreigners

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense