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凹槽 (āo cáo) — groove, slot, recess (a long narrow cut or depression in a surface)

Definition

A long narrow cut or depression in a surface, such as a slot for joining parts or a groove in a workpiece. Mostly used in technical and mechanical contexts.

noun
grooveslotrecess (a long narrow cut or depression in a surface)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 凹槽。
    Zhè ge líng jiàn de biǎo miàn yǒu yí gè āo cáo.
    There is a groove on the surface of this part.
  • 凹槽。
    Mù bǎn shàng kè le yí dào āo cáo yòng lái gù dìng bō li.
    A slot was carved into the wooden board to hold the glass in place.
  • 凹槽。
    Yá chǐ de āo cáo yǒu zhù yú jǔ jué shí wù.
    The grooves on teeth help with chewing food.

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.

凹āohollow
槽cáogroove

A 槽 that is 凹 is a hollowed groove or recess.

Characters in this word

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

Open 凹 →

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
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
曹
曹cáo槽cáo
Same sound today

槽 uses 木 (wood) for the meaning and 曹 for the sound, showing a wooden trough or vat.

Open 槽 →
Appears in
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