《毛诗传笺通释》是清代中晚期最重要的《诗经》研究著作之一。《通释》在研究过程中，广泛地征引《说文》，共引《说文》约2600条。按《通释》征引《说文》的目的分类，可将《通释》引《说文》的条目分为“破读通假”“考证名物”“说解诗意”“辨证《说文》”“厘析段《注》”及其他情况等六类。《通释》引用《说文》的材料来源涵盖了大徐本《说文解字》、小徐本《说文解字系传》、段玉裁《说文解字注》等。《通释》在引用《说文》的过程中，主要运用了以形索义和因声求义的训诂方法。《通释》引用《说文》，继承和发扬了乾嘉学派小学通经学的思想，并形成了以《说文》为基础的语言系统意识。

General Explanation of Mao's Annotations for Book of Songs is one of the most important research works on the Book of Songs in the middle and late Qing Dynasty. While researching General Explanation, Shuowen was widely cited, with a total of about 2600 references. According to the classification of the purpose of quoting Shuowen in General Explanation, the items quoted in Shuowen in General Explanation can be divided into six categories, such as "explaining interchangeable characters", "textually researching on ancient objects", "explaining and interpreting poetry", " analyzing Shuowen", "clarifying Duan's notes" and other situations. The sources of materials quoted from Shuowen in General Explanation include Shuowen Jiezi by Xu Xuan, Shuowen Jiezi Xizhuan by Xu Kai, Duan Yucai’s Annotation on Shuowenjiezi, etc. While quoting Shuowen, General Explanation mainly uses the exegetical methods named seeking meaning by form and seeking meaning by sound. General Explanation quoted Shuowen, inherited and carried forward the thought of passing through language to Confucian classics of Qianjia school, and build the consciousness of language system based on Shuowen.