枪口 (qiāng kǒu) — muzzle (of a firearm) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

muzzle (of a firearm)

Measure word · 个

Examples

枪口。
Tā xiǎo xīn dì bǎ qiāng kǒu cháo xià fàng.
He carefully pointed the muzzle downward.
，枪口。
Kāi qiāng hòu, qiāng kǒu mào chū yì gǔ yān.
After firing, a puff of smoke came out of the muzzle.
枪口。
Tā bǎ qiāng kǒu dǐ zhù le mén.
He pressed the muzzle against the door.

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.

口kǒuopening

枪 is the gun and 口 is the opening, so it names the gun's opening, the muzzle.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 槍; 枪 is its simplified writing.

木倉槍

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

倉

倉cāng槍qiāng

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

The traditional form 槍 pairs 木 (wood) with 倉 as a sound part; the simplified 枪 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.

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

The form 口 looks like an open mouth.

Appears in

Military & Defense

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