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霰弹 (xiàn dàn) — shotgun shell, shotgun ammunition

Definition

霰弹 (sǎn) refers to a shotgun shell — the ammunition itself, containing multiple pellets that spread on firing. In firearms contexts it is distinct from a single bullet (子弹).

noun
shotgun shellshotgun ammunition
Measure word · 颗

Examples

  • 霰弹。
    Tā mǎi le yì hé xiàn dàn.
    He bought a box of shotgun shells.
  • 霰弹。
    xiàn dàn De shā shāng fàn wéi hěn dà.
    The lethal range of shotgun ammunition is very large.
  • 霰弹。
    Jǐng chá shǐ yòng le xiàn dàn lái zhì fú dǎi tú.
    The police used shotgun shells to subdue the criminal.

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.

霰xiànshot
弹tánammunition

霰 refers to shot or pellets, and 弹 means ammunition, so the idea is shot ammunition.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōng
Sound part声符shēngfú
單
單dān彈tán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Open 弹 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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