核废料 (hé fèi liào) — nuclear waste

Definition

noun
nuclear waste

Examples

  • 核废料。
    Chǔ lǐ hé fèi liào shì yí gè quán qiú xìng nán tí.
    Handling nuclear waste is a global challenge.
  • 核废料。
    Zhè zuò gōng chǎng zhuān mén huí shōu hé fèi liào.
    This factory specializes in recycling nuclear waste.
  • 核废料。
    hé fèi liào Bì xū ān quán dì chǔ cún qǐ lái.
    Nuclear waste must be stored safely.

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.

核hénuclear
废料waste material
废fèiwaste料liàomaterial
偏正Modifier + head

核 means nuclear and 废料 means discarded material, so together they name waste from nuclear processes.

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài核hé
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

核 pairs 木, a tree, with 亥 to give its sound; it originally named a kind of tree, and its later meanings are borrowed.

Open 核 →

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 廢; 废 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎnghouse
Sound part声符shēngfú
發
發fā廢fèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 廢 shows 广 as a house and 發 as the sound.

Open 废 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

料 combines 米 (rice) with 斗 (a dipper), showing rice being measured or gauged.

Open 料 →
Appears in
Environment & EcologyEnergy & Power

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