What does "wu" mean?
A Chinese shaman.
Wu
/ˈwuː/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A Chinese shaman.
- Grammar: wu is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: gusu, helu city, jiangnan, jiangzhe.
- Usage evidence: Shanghainese is actually a kind of pidgin, based on Wu dialects, Lower Yangtze Mandarin, and English loanwords.
How to use "wu"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wu" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "wu" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "wu" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wu" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "wu" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "gusu" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "wu", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A Chinese shaman. historical
- 2 a dialect of Chinese spoken in the Yangtze delta wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 Suzhou, a city in southern Jiangsu province in China, whence:; A county of imperial and Republican China around Suzhou. historical
- 2 A surname from Chinese.
- 3 A river in Guizhou, China, a tributary of the Yangtze.
- 4 A river in Hunan, China, a tributary of the Yuan.
- 5 A river in Hunan, China, a tributary of the Yuan.
Show 22 more definitions
- 6 A surname from Chinese.
- 7 A surname from Chinese.
- 8 Initialism of Weather Underground. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 9 Suzhou, a city in southern Jiangsu province in China, whence:; A commandery of imperial China around Suzhou. historical
- 10 An epithet of numerous kings and emperors in Chinese history who were honored with variants of the posthumous name Wuwang or Wudi. historical
- 11 A surname from Chinese.
- 12 A surname from Chinese.
- 13 Initialism of Windows Update. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 14 A historic and cultural region of China around the mouth of the Yangtze River, whence:; The family of Chinese languages spoken in that region, including Shanghainese and Suzhounese, the second-most spoken family after Mandarin.
"Linguists say the Wu dialect widely spoken in Shanghai, to take one prominent example, shares only about 31 percent lexical similarity with Mandarin, or roughly the same as English and French. The encounter at the Datian market began when the dumpling seller approached the foreigner with a phrase that sounded like "goodbye" in the Wu dialect. Knowing it must mean something else, the foreigner guessed she was asking his name, and provided it, producing a laugh from the woman who explained, switching to Mandarin, that she had asked if he had eaten lately."
- 15 Various universities:; Initialism of Washburn University. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 16 A historic and cultural region of China around the mouth of the Yangtze River, whence:; The kingdom ruled by the Ji family from Wuxi and then Suzhou during the Spring and Autumn period of China's Zhou dynasty. historical
"The finest private gardens were built in Suzhou, a graceful old city with a network of canals and a cultured ambiance. It was founded in the sixth century B.C. as the capital of the kingdom of Wu and flourished as a center of trade and scholarship under successive dynasties."
- 17 Various universities:; Initialism of Washington University. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 18 A historic and cultural region of China around the mouth of the Yangtze River, whence:; A common surname from Chinese
- 19 Various universities:; Initialism of Waynesburg University. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 20 A historic and cultural region of China around the mouth of the Yangtze River, whence:; The kingdom ruled by the Sun family from Ezhou and Nanjing during the Three Kingdoms interregnum following China's Han dynasty. historical
"I deeply regretted having to miss seeing Hsing-ping, a very old town built by the ruler of the Wu Kingdom in the Three Kingdoms period of the third century."
- 21 Various universities:; Initialism of Webster University. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 22 A historic and cultural region of China around the mouth of the Yangtze River, whence:; The kingdom ruled by Li Zitong from Yangzhou and Hangzhou during the interregnum following China's Sui dynasty. historical
- 23 Various universities:; Initialism of Willamette University. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 24 A historic and cultural region of China around the mouth of the Yangtze River, whence:; The kingdom ruled by the Yang family from Yangzhou during the Ten Kingdoms interregnum following China's Tang dynasty. historical
- 25 Various universities:; Initialism of Winthrop University. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 26 A historic and cultural region of China around the mouth of the Yangtze River, whence:; The kingdom ruled by the Qian family from Hangzhou and Shaoxing during the Ten Kingdoms interregnum following China's Tang dynasty. historical
- 27 Various universities:; Initialism of World University. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Example
"Shanghainese is actually a kind of pidgin, based on Wu dialects, Lower Yangtze Mandarin, and English loanwords."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wu"?
Common synonyms include: gusu, helu city, jiangnan, jiangzhe, martial, mo.
How do you use "wu" in a sentence?
Shanghainese is actually a kind of pidgin, based on Wu dialects, Lower Yangtze Mandarin, and English loanwords.
How do you pronounce "wu"?
Pronounced /ˈwuː/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 吳 /吴 (Wú). Doublet of O.
Etymology 2
Romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 武 (Wǔ, “war, warrior, warlike”).
Etymology 3
Romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 烏 /乌 (Wū or Wù, “crow, raven, black”).
Etymology 4
Romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 巫 (Wū or Wú, “shaman, sorceror, witch”).
Etymology 5
Romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 㵲 (Wǔ).
Etymology 6
The romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of various other Chinese surnames: 伍 (Wǔ), 仵 (Wǔ), 鄔／邬 (Wū).
Etymology 7
From Cantonese 胡 (wu⁴). Doublet of Hu.
Etymology 8
From the Wade-Giles romanization of Mandarin Chinese 巫 (wū, “shaman”).
Etymology 9
Initialism.