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校准 (jiào zhǔn) — to calibrate (instruments, equipment)

Definition

A technical term meaning to calibrate an instrument or device by adjusting it to match a known standard. Used in engineering, lab, and manufacturing contexts — more precise than the everyday word 调 (tiáo).

verb
to calibrate (instruments, equipment)

Examples

  • 校准，。
    Měi cì shǐ yòng qián bì xū jiào zhǔn yí qì, fǒu zé shù jù bù zhǔn.
    You must calibrate the instrument before each use, or the data will be inaccurate.
  • 校准。
    Gōng chéng shī huā le liǎng gè xiǎo shí jiào zhǔn zhè tái jī qì.
    The engineer spent two hours calibrating this machine.
  • 校准。
    Shí yàn shì de diàn zǐ chèng měi gé yí gè yuè jiù yào jiào zhǔn yí cì.
    The electronic scale in the lab needs to be calibrated once a month.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

校xiàocalibrate/check
准zhǔnaccurate

校 checks or adjusts, and 准 adds accuracy.

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
交
交jiāo校jiào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

校 is built from 木 (tree) on the left and 交 on the right, which supplies the sound.

Open 校 →

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 準; 准 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
隼
隼sǔn準zhǔn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 準, not 准, pairs 水 (water) with 隼 as a sound part; the evidence describes it as 'water level'.

Open 准 →
Appears in
Technology & Engineering

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