U+7681 "皁" CJK Unified Ideograph-# Unicode Character
U+7681 "皁" CJK Unified Ideograph-# is a Chinese character traditionally used to denote the color black, as well as substances like soap or black dye, and it also carries the meaning of low or base status, often appearing in classical texts and historical contexts. This character is an older variant form of the more common character "皂" (zào), which is widely used in modern Chinese for terms like "肥皂" (soap) and "皂角" (the soapberry pod). In its historical usage, "皁" references the physical blackness of dye or fabric, and by extension, it became associated with menial laborers, such as "皁隶" meaning a runner or servant in ancient bureaucratic systems. Its structure combines the radical for "white" (白) with a simplified or altered component, highlighting its evolution from earlier oracle bone and bronze script forms where it originally depicted a black bean or dye plant.