虹膜 (hóng mó) — iris (of the eye) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

iris (of the eye)

Measure word · 个

Examples

虹膜。
Tā de hóng mó shì lán sè de.
Her iris is blue.
虹膜。
Yī shēng yòng yí qì jiǎn chá le wǒ de hóng mó.
The doctor examined my iris with an instrument.
虹膜。
hóng mó Shí bié jì shù yòng yú ān quán xì tǒng.
Iris recognition technology is used in security systems.

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.

虹hóngrainbow

膜mómembrane

虹 (rainbow) describes the colored 膜 (membrane) of the eye, giving the iris.

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.

虫工虹

Meaning part形符xíngfú

虫虫chónginsect; creature

Sound part声符shēngfú

工

工gōng虹hóng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The earliest form drew a two-headed dragon; later 虹 used 虫 (creature) to show it was a creature and 工 for sound.

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

⺼Written in full as肉ròu

Sound part声符shēngfú

莫

莫mò膜mó

Same sound today

膜 combines ⺼ (written in full as 肉) with 莫, which gives the character its sound.

Appears in

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