刺刀 (cì dāo) — bayonet; dagger | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

In military context 刺刀 means 'bayonet' (the blade fixed to a rifle). More broadly it can mean any short stabbing dagger or large knife, especially in older or literary use.

noun

bayonetdagger

Measure word · 把

Examples

刺刀。
Zhàn shì shǒu chí cì dāo shàng zhàn chǎng.
The soldier went to the battlefield holding a bayonet.
刺刀。
Zhè bǎ cì dāo fēi cháng fēng lì.
This bayonet is very sharp.
刺刀。
Tā yòng cì dāo cì xiàng dí rén.
He stabbed at the enemy with a bayonet.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

刺 (“stab”) and 刀 (“knife”) make a stabbing blade, hence a bayonet.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

朿刂刺

Meaning part形符xíngfú

刂Written in full as刀dāoknife

Sound part声符shēngfú

朿

朿cì刺cì

Same sound today

刺 pairs 刂 (knife) with 朿, which gives the sound; the knife part fits actions like stabbing or pricking.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 刀 comes from a simple picture of a knife.

Appears in

Military & Defense

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