绞痛 (jiǎo tòng) — angina (medical condition of chest pain due to reduced blood flow to the heart); acute gripping pain (sharp, spasmodic pain, often in the abdomen or chest)

Definition

noun
angina (medical condition of chest pain due to reduced blood flow to the heart)acute gripping pain (sharp, spasmodic pain, often in the abdomen or chest)

Examples

  • 绞痛。
    Tā yīn wèi jiǎo tòng bèi sòng jìn le yī yuàn.
    He was sent to the hospital because of angina.
  • 绞痛。
    Zhè zhǒng jiǎo tòng kě néng shì wèi jìng luán yǐn qǐ de.
    This gripping pain may be caused by stomach cramps.
  • 绞痛。
    Yī shēng gěi tā kāi le zhì liáo jiǎo tòng de yào.
    The doctor prescribed him medicine for angina.

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.

绞jiǎowringing
痛tòngpain

绞 gives the sense of wringing, and 痛 is pain; together they name a gripping, twisting pain.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絞; 绞 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìthread
Sound part声符shēngfú
交
交jiāo絞jiǎo
Same sound today

The traditional form 絞 pairs 糸 (thread) with 交 as the sound part; the simplified 绞 is a later abbreviation.

Open 绞 →

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
疒疒nèillness
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng痛tòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 疒 part means illness, and 甬 gives the sound; together they form 痛, meaning pain or hurt.

Open 痛 →

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