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加速器 (jiā sù qì) — accelerator (physics), particle accelerator

Definition

noun
accelerator (physics)particle accelerator
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 加速器。
    Zhè tái jiā sù qì néng bǎ zhì zǐ jiā sù dào jiē jìn guāng sù.
    This accelerator can speed protons up to nearly the speed of light.
  • 加速器。
    Kē xué jiā lì yòng jiā sù qì yán jiū jī běn lì zǐ de xìng zhì.
    Scientists use accelerators to study the properties of elementary particles.
  • 加速器。
    Dà xíng qiáng zi duì zhuàng jī shì mù qián zuì dà de jiā sù qì.
    The Large Hadron Collider is the largest accelerator currently in existence.

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.

加速accelerate
加jiāincrease速sùspeed
动宾Verb + object
器qìdevice

加速 means increase speed and 器 is a device, so together it names a device that speeds things up.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

加 pairs 力 and 口. In one explanation 力 is strength and 口 is the mouth, meaning exaggeration; in another 力 is plowing effort and 口 is breath or exclamation, meaning extra effort.

Open 加 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
束
束shù速sù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

速 pairs 辵, the walking part, with 束, which is used for its sound; the walking part fits the meaning of moving fast.

Open 速 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

Open 器 →
Appears in
Physics & ChemistryTechnology & Engineering

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