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葡萄球菌 (pú tao qiú jūn) — (noun) staphylococcus (a type of bacteria)

Definition

noun
staphylococcus (a type of bacteria)

Examples

  • 葡萄球菌。
    Yī shēng cóng zhè ge shāng kǒu lǐ fā xiàn le pú tao qiú jūn.
    The doctor found staphylococcus in this wound.
  • 葡萄球菌。
    pú tao qiú jūn Gǎn rǎn xū yào yòng kàng shēng sù zhì liáo.
    Staphylococcus infection requires treatment with antibiotics.
  • 葡萄球菌。
    Shí yàn shì lǐ péi yǎng le yì zhǒng pú tao qiú jūn.
    A type of staphylococcus was cultivated in the laboratory.

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.

葡萄grape
葡pú萄táo
球菌coccus
球qiúball菌jūnbacterium
偏正Modifier + head

葡萄 gives the grape-like clusters and 球菌 gives the spherical bacterium, together naming staphylococcus.

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
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
匍
匍pú葡
Same sound today

葡 is built from 艸 (grass) plus 匍 as the sound part. For the grape meaning, the old explanation also links it to a sprout growing in a field, so the shape points to plants.

Open 葡 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
匋
匋táo萄
Same sound today

The top 艹 marks 萄 as a plant, and 匋 gives its sound. The part 匋 also points to making an earthenware jar, possibly for a plant used to make wine.

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
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
求
求qiú球qiú
Same sound today

球 is built from 玉, meaning jade, and 求, which gives the sound.

Open 球 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
囷
囷qūn菌jūn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The top 艹 is a plant sign, and the lower 囷 gives the sound.

Open 菌 →
Appears in
BiologyIllness & Symptoms

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