苗裔 (miáo yì) is a literary noun meaning 'offspring' or 'progeny', especially in formal, historical, or poetic contexts. It literally combines 苗 (miáo), which originally meant 'sprout' or 'young shoot' and metaphorically suggests origin or early development, and 裔 (yì), meaning 'descendant' or 'offspring' — historically referring to people living at the 'edge' or 'borderland' of a clan or territory, later extended to mean lineage. Together, they evoke the idea of a line of descent springing forth from a root.

This term is rarely used in everyday speech; instead, it appears in classical texts, official documents, genealogical records, or rhetorical writing about heritage and ancestry. It often carries a dignified, solemn tone and may refer to descendants of a famous figure, an ancient tribe, or even a species’ evolutionary lineage — though the latter usage is rare and highly stylized.