The kanji 虫 generally means "insect," "bug," or "worm." It refers to creatures that are typically small and often have an exoskeleton. This kanji can also extend to represent similar creatures or anything verminous.

・On-yomi (音読み): チュウ (chū) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): むし (mushi)

⚫︎虫 (mushi) Translation: insect; bug; worm ⚫︎昆虫 (konchū) Translation: insect (literally "insect + insect") ⚫︎殺虫剤 (sasshūzai) Translation: insecticide (literally "kill + insect + agent")

The kanji 虫 is a pictograph. It depicts the general shape of an insect or worm, with emphasis on its segmented body. The earliest forms of the character show a more detailed representation of the insect's body. Over time, the character became simplified to its present form, maintaining the essence of the original image of a crawling, segmented creature.