保护色 (bǎo hù sè) — protective coloration, camouflage

Definition

A biological term for an animal's natural coloring or pattern that helps it blend into the environment. Used mainly in nature, military, and science contexts.

noun
protective colorationcamouflage

Examples

  • 保护色，。
    Hěn duō dòng wù dōu yǒu bǎo hù sè, lái bǎo hù zì jǐ.
    Many animals have protective coloration to protect themselves.
  • 保护色，。
    Shì bīng de yī fu yòng le bǎo hù sè, zài sēn lín lǐ bù róng yì bèi fā xiàn.
    The soldiers' uniforms use camouflage, making them hard to spot in the forest.
  • 保护色，。
    Zhè zhǒng hú dié de bǎo hù sè fēi cháng wán měi, jī hū hé shù yè yí yàng.
    This butterfly's protective coloration is so perfect it almost looks like a leaf.

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.

保护protect
保bǎoprotect护hùguard
联合Side by side
色sècolor

“保护” means to guard, and “色” is the coloration that provides camouflage.

Characters in this word

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

保 originally showed a person 人 carrying a child 子 on their back, which led to the sense of protecting.

Open 保 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
户
户hù护hù
Same sound today

护 combines 扌 (the hand form 手) with 户, which gives the sound hù.

Open 护 →

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

  • 爪爪zhuǎclaw; hand
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

色 pairs 爪 (a hand) with 卩 (a kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on the kneeling person.

Open 色 →

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