class or grade; generation; plaintiff and defendant (old); government department (old)

Cao Cao (155-220), famous statesman and general at the end of Han, noted poet and calligrapher, later warlord, founder and first king of Cao Wei 曹魏, father of Emperor Cao Pi 曹丕; the main villain of novel the Romance of Three Kingdoms 三國演義|三国演义

Cao Can (-190 BC), second chancellor of Han Dynasty, contributed to its founding by fighting on Liu Bang's 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] side during the Chu-Han Contention 楚漢戰爭|楚汉战争[Chu3 Han4 Zhan4 zheng1]; also pr. [Cao2 Shen1]

the Three Caos (Cao Cao 曹操 and his sons Cao Pi 曹丕 and Cao Zhi 曹植), who established the Wei or Cao Wei dynasty 曹魏, and were all three noted poets and calligraphers

market; official in charge of small merchants