性腺 (xìng xiàn) — sex gland

Definition

Scientific/anatomy term for the organs that produce reproductive cells and sex hormones — i.e., the ovaries (in women) and testes (in men). Written/technical register, not used in everyday speech.

noun
sex gland
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 性腺。
    Lǎo shī zhèng zài jiǎng jiě xìng xiàn de gōng néng.
    The teacher is explaining the function of sex glands.
  • 性腺。
    Luǎn cháo hé gāo wán dōu jiào zuò xìng xiàn.
    Ovaries and testicles are both called sex glands.
  • 性腺。
    Jī sù shì yóu xìng xiàn fēn mì de.
    Hormones are secreted by the sex glands.

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.

性xìngsex
腺xiàngland

'性' means sex and '腺' means gland: a gland related to sex.

Characters in this word

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 腺 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.