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保险丝 (bǎo xiǎn sī) — fuse (electrical)

Definition

A technical term for an electrical fuse — a safety device that melts and breaks a circuit when current is too high. Less common in everyday speech; used in electrical, hardware, or repair contexts.

noun
fuse (electrical)
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 保险丝，。
    Jiā lǐ de bǎo xiǎn sī shāo le, xū yào huàn yì gēn xīn de.
    The fuse in the house blew, and we need to replace it with a new one.
  • 保险丝。
    Diàn gōng zhèng zài jiǎn chá diàn lù lǐ de bǎo xiǎn sī.
    The electrician is checking the fuses in the circuit.
  • 保险丝。
    Zhè zhǒng bǎo xiǎn sī néng chéng shòu dà diàn liú.
    This type of fuse can withstand high current.

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.

保险insurance
保bǎoprotect险xiǎnrisk
动宾Verb + object
丝sīwire

保险 (protecting against risk) and 丝 (wire) combine to mean a fuse.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 險; 险 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān險
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 險 pairs 阝, written in full as 阜, with 僉, which gives the sound; the simplified 险 is a shorthand.

Open 险 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絲; 丝 is its simplified writing.

  • 糸糸mì
  • 糸糸mì

In the traditional form 絲, the shape is two 糸 written together; this is about 絲, not the simplified 丝.

Open 丝 →
Appears in
Energy & Power

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