Meaning
This word means to illegally traffic or deal in drugs. It refers to the criminal activity of transporting, selling, or distributing illegal narcotics. This is a serious legal term commonly seen in news reports, legal documents, and crime-related contexts.
Usage
Used primarily in formal, legal, and journalistic contexts when discussing drug-related crimes. It's a serious criminal offense in Chinese-speaking countries, particularly in mainland China where penalties are severe. Often appears with other legal terminology like 罪 (crime) or in news headlines about arrests.
Examples
- 01警方破获了一个跨国贩毒集团。.The police busted an international drug trafficking syndicate.
- 02他因贩毒罪被判处无期徒刑。.He was sentenced to life imprisonment for drug trafficking.
Characters
Common collocations
- 贩毒集团drug trafficking syndicate
- 贩毒罪crime of drug trafficking
- 贩毒分子drug trafficker
- 贩毒活动drug trafficking activities
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 贩 (to trade/deal) with 毒 (poison/drugs), literally meaning 'to trade in poison/drugs.' The character 贩 originally referred to buying and reselling goods for profit, while 毒 has long been used to refer to harmful substances.