来复线 (lái fù xiàn) — rifling; spiral grooves inside a gun barrel

Definition

noun
riflingspiral grooves inside a gun barrel

Examples

  • 来复线。
    Qiāng guǎn nèi bù de lái fù xiàn néng ràng zǐ dàn xuán zhuǎn fēi xíng.
    The rifling inside the gun barrel makes bullets spin as they fly.
  • 来复线。
    Zhè zhǒng bù qiāng de lái fù xiàn mó sǔn hòu huì yǐng xiǎng shè jī jīng dù.
    Wear on the rifling of this rifle affects shooting accuracy.
  • 来复线。
    Zhì zào lái fù xiàn xū yào gāo jīng dù de lā xiāo gōng yì.
    Manufacturing rifling requires high-precision broaching techniques.

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.

来复back and forth
来láicome复fùreturn
联合Side by side
线xiànline

The 来 'come' and 复 'return' parts describe the back-and-forth twist of the 线 'line' or groove.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →

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 復; 复 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 复 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (复习, 恢复) it is 復; in others (复印, 复杂) (答复, 反复) it is 複 or 覆.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彳彳chìwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
复
复fù復fù
Same sound today

The traditional form 復 combines 彳, a walking part, with 复, a sound part, to show walking back and forth.

Open 复 →

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →

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