螺旋体 (luó xuán tǐ) — spiral-shaped object; spirochete (type of bacteria)

Definition

A specialist biology term for a spirochete — a spiral-shaped bacterium (the cause of syphilis is one). Example 3 uses it more loosely for any spiral-shaped object, but in real use it almost always means the bacterium.

noun
spiral-shaped objectspirochete (type of bacteria)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 螺旋体。
    Zhè zhǒng luó xuán tǐ shì yǐn qǐ méi dú de bìng yuán tǐ.
    This type of spirochete is the pathogen that causes syphilis.
  • 螺旋体。
    Xiǎn wēi jìng xià kě yǐ kàn dào luó xuán tǐ de dú tè xíng tài.
    Under the microscope, you can see the unique shape of the spirochete.
  • 螺旋体。
    Zhè ge líng jiàn shì yí gè jīn shǔ luó xuán tǐ.
    This part is a metal spiral-shaped object.

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.

螺旋spiral
螺luósnail旋xuánturn
偏正Modifier + head
体tǐbody

螺旋 (spiral) and 体 (body) form a spiral-shaped body.

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
虫虫chóng
Sound part声符shēngfú
累
累lèi螺luó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

螺 combines 虫, a part associated with creatures, with 累, which gives the sound.

Open 螺 →

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

  • 㫃㫃㫃flag
  • 止止zhǐfoot
  • 〇〇língcircle

旋 combines 㫃 (a flag), 止 (a foot), and 〇 (a circle), and 〇 also gave the sound.

Open 旋 →

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 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ體tǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Open 体 →

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