水牢 (shuǐ láo) — water dungeon (a prison with waist-high water, used historically in China for torture)

Definition

A historical prison cell filled with waist-deep water, used as a form of torture. The word combines 水 (water) with 牢 (prison/jail).

noun
water dungeon (a prison with waist-high water, used historically in China for torture)
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 。
    Gǔ dài yǒu xiē bào jūn huì yòng shuǐ láo lái zhé mó fàn rén.
    In ancient times, some tyrants would use water dungeons to torture prisoners.
  • 水牢。
    Zhè zuò chéng bǎo de dì xià yǒu yí gè zhù míng de shuǐ láo.
    There is a famous water dungeon beneath this castle.
  • 水牢。
    Xiǎo shuō lǐ miáo xiě le zhǔ jué bèi kùn zài shuǐ láo zhōng de qíng jié.
    The novel describes the protagonist trapped in a water dungeon.

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.

水shuǐwater
牢láoprison

水 is water and 牢 is a prison, so it names a watery dungeon.

Characters in this word

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →

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

  • 宀宀miánpen; animal yard
  • 牛牛niúcow

牢 places 牛, a cow, under 宀, a pen or animal yard.

Open 牢 →

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