骨膜 (gǔ mó) — periosteum

Definition

A medical term for the periosteum, the membrane that wraps the surface of bones. In anatomy contexts it usually appears as part of a compound (e.g. 骨膜损伤 periosteal injury).

noun
periosteum
Measure word · 层
Easily confused

Examples

  • 骨膜。
    Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de gǔ mó.
    The doctor examined his periosteum.
  • 骨膜。
    gǔ mó Shì fù gài zài gǔ tou biǎo miàn de yī céng zǔ zhī.
    The periosteum is a layer of tissue covering the surface of bones.
  • 骨膜。
    gǔ mó Sǔn shāng hòu xū yào hěn cháng shí jiān cái néng huī fù.
    After a periosteum injury, it takes a long time to recover.

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.

骨gǔbone
膜mómembrane

骨 means bone, and 膜 means membrane; together they name the membrane associated with bone.

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
肉肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
冎
冎guǎ骨gǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.

Open 骨 →

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.

Open 膜 →

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