末梢 (mò shāo) — tip, extremity (of a branch, nerve, etc.) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literary/technical term for the 'tip or far end' of a branching structure — most often used in medical contexts (末梢神经, 末梢循环 'peripheral nerves/circulation') rather than everyday talk.

noun

tipextremity (of a branch, nerve, etc.)

Examples

末梢。
Shù de mò shāo cháng chū le xīn yá.
The tip of the tree has sprouted new buds.
末梢。
mò shāo Shén jīng shòu sǔn huì dǎo zhì má mù.
Damage to peripheral nerves can cause numbness.
末梢。
Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de mò shāo xún huán.
The doctor checked his peripheral circulation.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

末 and 梢 both refer to the far end, so together they mean a tip or extremity.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

末 adds a mark at the top of a tree-like shape to show its tip or end.

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

木肖梢

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

肖

肖xiào梢shāo(r)

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part of 梢 is 木, a tree; the right part is 肖, which gives the sound.

Appears in

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