核武器 (hé wǔ qì) — nuclear weapon | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

nuclear weapon

核武器。
Xǔ duō guó jiā dōu fǎn duì fā zhǎn hé wǔ qì.
Many countries oppose the development of nuclear weapons.
核武器，。
hé wǔ qì De wēi lì fēi cháng dà, kě yǐ cuī huǐ zhěng zuò chéng shì.
The power of nuclear weapons is enormous; they can destroy an entire city.
核武器。
Kē xué jiā men zhèng zài yán jiū rú hé ān quán chǔ lǐ hé wǔ qì.
Scientists are researching how to safely dispose of nuclear weapons.

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.

核hénuclear

武器weapon

武wǔmartial器qìinstrument

偏正Modifier + head

Nuclear (核) specifies weapon (武器), giving a weapon powered by nuclear energy.

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.

木亥核

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

亥

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

核 pairs 木, a tree, with 亥 to give its sound; it originally named a kind of tree, and its later meanings are borrowed.

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

武 puts 戈 (dagger-axe) above 止 (foot/to walk), showing an army going on an expedition.

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

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