锉刀 (cuò dāo) — file (tool for smoothing or shaping wood, metal… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

file (tool for smoothing or shaping wood, metal, etc.)

Measure word · 把

Examples

锉刀。
Tā yòng cuò dāo bà mù tou de biān yuán mó píng le.
He used a file to smooth the edges of the wood.
锉刀。
Zhè bǎ cuò dāo de chǐ yǐ jīng dùn le.
The teeth of this file have become dull.
锉刀。
Nǐ xū yào yì bǎ gèng xì de cuò dāo lái dǎ mó jīn shǔ.
You need a finer file to polish the metal.

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.

'锉' names the filing action, and '刀' names the tool.

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 銼; 锉 is its simplified writing.

金坐銼

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

坐

坐zuò銼cuò

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

The traditional form 銼 combines 金 (metal) with 坐, which gives the sound; the simplified 锉 is a later shorthand.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 刀 comes from a simple picture of a knife.

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