息肉 (xī ròu) — polyp

Definition

noun
polyp

Examples

  • 息肉。
    Yī shēng fā xiàn tā de bí zi lǐ yǒu yí gè xī ròu.
    The doctor found a polyp in his nose.
  • 息肉，。
    Dà duō shù xī ròu bú shì ái zhèng, dàn xū yào dìng qī jiǎn chá.
    Most polyps are not cancer, but they need regular check-ups.
  • ，息肉。
    Tā zuò le shǒu shù, qiē chú le xī ròu.
    He had surgery to remove the polyp.

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.

息xīgrowth
肉ròuflesh

The sense of 息 as growth with 肉 as flesh yields a fleshy growth, a polyp.

Characters in this word

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

In 息, 自 is nose and 心 is heart, showing breath or life passing through one's nose.

Open 息 →

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

The original shape of 肉 showed ribs of an animal’s torso, or simply a slice of meat.

Open 肉 →

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