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大动脉 (dà dòng mài) — (anatomy) main artery, aorta; (figurative) main artery (of transportation, economy, or information)

Definition

Literally 'main artery' (anatomy), also used figuratively for a critical transport, economic, or information artery — a vital route or lifeline.

noun
(anatomy) main arteryaorta(figurative) main artery (of transportation, economy, or information)
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 大动脉，。
    Yī shēng shuō tā de yì tiáo dà dòng mài dǔ sè le, xū yào mǎ shàng shǒu shù.
    The doctor said one of his main arteries was blocked and he needed immediate surgery.
  • 大动脉。
    Zhè tiáo gāo sù gōng lù shì lián jiē nán běi de jiāo tōng dà dòng mài.
    This highway is the transportation main artery connecting north and south.
  • 大动脉。
    Cháng jiāng shì zhōng guó zuì zhòng yào de jīng jì dà dòng mài zhī yī.
    The Yangtze River is one of China's most important economic arteries.

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.

大dàlarge
动脉artery
动dòngmoving脉màivessel
偏正Modifier + head

大 means large or main, and 动脉 is an artery, so together they name the main artery.

Characters in this word

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

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

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 脈; 脉 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròuflesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂢
𠂢𠂢脈mài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 脈 pairs ⺼ (flesh) with a sound part, 𠂢; the simplified 脉 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 脉 →
Appears in
Organs & Anatomy

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