弩 (nǔ) — crossbow | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

crossbow

Measure word · 张

Examples

弩。
Gǔ dài shì bīng yòng nǔ shè jiàn.
Ancient soldiers used crossbows to shoot arrows.
弩。
Tā shōu cáng le yì bǎ míng dài nǔ.
He collected a Ming dynasty crossbow.
弩。
Zhè bǎ nǔ de wēi lì hěn dà.
This crossbow has great power.

Origin

Sound + meaning

六书liùshū

形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

奴弓弩

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

奴

奴nú弩nǔ

Same sound today

弩 pairs 弓 (bow) with 奴, which gives the sound.

Appears in

Military & Defense

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