灌肠 (guàn cháng) — (medical) enema | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A medical procedure: introducing liquid into the rectum to clean the bowel or deliver medicine. Also the solution itself.

noun

(medical) enema

Examples

灌肠。
Yī shēng jiàn yì tā zuò yí cì guàn cháng.
The doctor advised him to have an enema.
灌肠。
Hù shi zhèng zài zhǔn bèi guàn cháng yòng de yào shuǐ.
The nurse is preparing the solution for the enema.
灌肠。
Zhè zhǒng guàn cháng kě yǐ huǎn jiě biàn mì.
This type of enema can relieve constipation.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

肠chángintestine

灌 means to pour or flush, and 肠 is the intestine, so the sense is flushing the intestine.

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

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

雚

雚guàn灌guàn

Same sound today

灌 pairs its water part with 雚, which gives the character its sound.

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 腸; 肠 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

肉肉ròubody

Sound part声符shēngfú

昜

昜yáng腸cháng

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

The traditional form 腸 pairs 肉, the body, with 昜, which gives the sound; the simplified 肠 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

Medicine & Treatment

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