回转仪 (huí zhuǎn yí) — gyroscope

Definition

noun
gyroscope
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 回转仪。
    Zhè ge huí zhuǎn yí yòng yú cè liáng wù tǐ de xuán zhuǎn.
    This gyroscope is used to measure the rotation of an object.
  • 回转仪。
    Fēi jī shàng de huí zhuǎn yí bāng zhù fēi xíng yuán bǎo chí fāng xiàng.
    The gyroscope on the airplane helps the pilot maintain direction.
  • 回转仪。
    Kē xué jiā yòng huí zhuǎn yí yán jiū dì qiú de zì zhuàn.
    Scientists use gyroscopes to study the Earth's rotation.

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.

回转rotation
回huíturn转zhuǎnturn
联合Side by side
仪yíinstrument

回转仪 is a 仪 (instrument) for 回转 (rotation).

Characters in this word

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

回 comes from a drawing of a spiral, showing something turning around.

Open 回 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 轉; 转 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān轉zhuǎn
Same sound today

The traditional form 轉 combines 車, a carriage, with 專 as a sound part; the simplified 转 is a later shorthand.

Open 转 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 儀; 仪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
義
義yì儀yí
Same sound today

In the traditional form 儀, the left part 亻 shows a person, and the right part 義 supplies the sound. This description is about 儀, not the simplified 仪.

Open 仪 →

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