飞毛腿 (fēi máo tuǐ) — fleet-footed runner; (military) Scud missile

Definition

Literally 'flying-haired-leg' — a person who runs exceptionally fast. Also the Chinese name for the Scud missile, from the image of a warhead flying on legs.

noun
fleet-footed runner(military) Scud missile
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，飞毛腿。
    Tā pǎo dé hěn kuài, shì gè zhēn zhèng de fēi máo tuǐ.
    He runs very fast — he's a real fleet-footed runner.
  • 飞毛腿。
    Zhè zhǒng fēi máo tuǐ dǎo dàn de shè chéng hěn yuǎn.
    This type of Scud missile has a very long range.
  • ，飞毛腿。
    Zài gǔ dài, fēi máo tuǐ zhǐ de shì pǎo dé tè bié kuài de rén.
    In ancient times, 'flying hair leg' referred to people who ran extremely fast.

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.

飞毛flying hair
飞fēifly毛máohair
偏正Modifier + head
腿tuǐleg

The image is a leg whose hair flies, so 飞毛腿 suggests someone moving extremely fast.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 飛; 飞 is its simplified writing.

For 飞, the traditional form 飛 pictures a bird flying upwards.

Open 飞 →

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

毛 is drawn as a feather or hair, with its strokes tracing the shape of the feather or hair.

Open 毛 →

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
肉肉ròuflesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
退
退tuì腿tuǐ
Same sound today

The 肉 part is flesh, showing a body part; the 退 part gives the sound.

Open 腿 →

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