整流 (zhěng liú) — (electrical engineering) rectification, the conversion of AC to DC

Definition

Purely technical EE term for 'rectification' — converting alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). Almost always appears in compound nouns like 整流器 (rectifier) or 整流设备 (rectification equipment).

noun
(electrical engineering) rectificationthe conversion of AC to DC

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè ge diàn lù bǎn shàng de zhěng liú qì huài le.
    The rectifier on this circuit board is broken.
  • 整流。
    zhěng liú De zuò yòng shì bǎ jiāo liú diàn biàn chéng zhí liú diàn.
    The function of rectification is to convert AC into DC.
  • 整流。
    Gōng chéng shī zhèng zài cè shì zhěng liú shè bèi de xìng néng.
    The engineer is testing the performance of the rectification equipment.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

整zhěngstraighten
流liúflow

"整" (to straighten) and "流" (flow) give the idea of making a current orderly, hence rectification.

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
敕敕chì
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng整zhěng
Same sound today

整 pairs 敕 as the meaning side with 正 as the sound side.

Open 整 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㐬
㐬㐬流liú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

流 has 水, water, and 㐬, which gives the sound. The water part matches meanings such as flow.

Open 流 →

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