单极 (dān jí) — (physics) monopole, unipolar; (politics) unipolar (as in 单极世界)

Definition

A technical term used in physics (magnetic monopole — a magnet with only one pole) and in political science (a single dominant global power, as in 单极世界 'unipolar world').

noun
(physics) monopoleunipolar(politics) unipolar (as in 单极世界)

Examples

  • 单极。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài xún zhǎo cí dān jí de zhèng jù.
    Scientists are searching for evidence of magnetic monopoles.
  • ，单极。
    Lěng zhàn jié shù hòu, shì jiè jìn rù le dān jí gé jú.
    After the Cold War ended, the world entered a unipolar structure.
  • 单极。
    dān jí Lǐ lùn zài lì zǐ wù lǐ zhōng fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    Monopole theory is very important in particle physics.

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.

单dānsingle
极jípole

单 means single and 极 is a pole, so 单极 denotes one pole or a unipolar state.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 單; 单 is its simplified writing.

The form 單 originally pictured a Y-shaped wooden stick with two stones on top.

Open 单 →

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
木木mùtree, wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
及
及jí极jí
Same sound today

极 pairs 木 (tree, wood) with 及, which provides the sound.

Open 极 →

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