‘漏网’ literally means ‘leaking net’—a net with holes through which fish or other creatures escape. Figuratively, it refers to someone or something that narrowly avoids capture, punishment, detection, or failure. The character 漏 (lòu) means ‘to leak’ or ‘to let through,’ while 网 (wǎng) means ‘net’; together, they evoke the image of a flawed trap that fails to hold its target. This term is commonly used in contexts involving law enforcement, investigations, or competitive situations where evasion occurs.

Although originally tied to fishing or hunting imagery (hence its association with Animals), ‘漏网’ is now mostly metaphorical and appears in formal and journalistic language. It often carries a slightly negative or critical tone, implying that justice or control was imperfect. It’s frequently paired with words like ‘之鱼’ (zhī yú, ‘fish’) to form the idiomatic phrase ‘漏网之鱼’ (a person who escapes punishment), but ‘漏网’ itself functions as a noun meaning the act or instance of escaping.