咬合 (yǎo gě) — (of gear wheels, machine parts) to interlock, to mesh, to engage; (of teeth) to occlude, to fit together when the jaw is closed

Definition

Technical verb for two toothed or ridged parts fitting tightly into each other — used for meshing gears and for how upper and lower teeth meet when the jaw closes.

verb
(of gear wheels, machine parts) to interlockto meshto engage(of teeth) to occlude, to fit together when the jaw is closed

Examples

  • 咬合。
    Zhè liǎng gè chǐ lún bì xū jīng què yǎo gě cái néng zhèng cháng yùn zhuǎn.
    These two gears must mesh precisely to operate normally.
  • 咬合。
    Yá yī jiǎn chá le tā de yá chǐ yǎo gě qíng kuàng shì fǒu zhèng cháng.
    The dentist checked whether his tooth occlusion was normal.
  • 咬合，。
    Jī qì de chǐ lún yǎo gě zài yì qǐ, dài dòng zhěng gè xì tǒng gōng zuò.
    The machine's gears interlock together, driving the entire system.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

咬yǎobite
合héclose

咬 gives the biting action and 合 the closing or joining, together describing parts that mesh.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
交
交jiāo咬yǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

咬 is built from 口, meaning mouth, and 交, which gives the sound.

Open 咬 →

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

合 shows 亼 and 口 arranged as two mouths speaking together.

Open 合 →

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