椭圆 (tuǒ yuán) — ellipse; oval | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

ellipseoval

Measure word · 个

。
Zhè miàn jìng zi shì tuǒ yuán xíng de.
This mirror is oval-shaped.
椭圆。
Tā měi tiān zài tuǒ yuán jī shàng yùn dòng yí gè xiǎo shí.
She exercises for an hour on the elliptical machine every day.
，。
Jiàn zhù shè jì zhōng, tuǒ yuán xíng de chuāng hu hěn cháng jiàn.
In architectural design, oval-shaped windows are very common.

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.

椭tuǒelliptic

“椭” gives the elliptical shape and “圆” gives the circle sense, together naming an oval.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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 圓; 圆 is its simplified writing.

囗員圓

Meaning part形符xíngfú

囗囗wéi

Sound part声符shēngfú

員

員yuán圓yuán

Same sound today

This is about the traditional form 圓, not the simplified 圆. In 圓, 囗 surrounds 員, and the inner part of 員 is an old circle picture.

Appears in