核武 (hé wǔ) — nuclear weapon | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

nuclear weapon

Measure word · 件

核武。
Hěn duō guó jiā dōu zài nǔ lì jiǎn shǎo hé wǔ.
Many countries are working to reduce nuclear weapons.
核武，。
hé wǔ De wēi lì fēi cháng dà, suǒ yǐ gè guó dōu hěn zhòng shì.
Nuclear weapons are very powerful, so all countries take them seriously.
核武。
Shì jiè shàng hěn duō rén bù xī wàng yǒu hé wǔ.
Many people in the world do not want nuclear weapons.

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

“核” and “武” combine to mean a weapon powered by nuclear energy.

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.

木亥核

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

亥

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.

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

武 puts 戈 (dagger-axe) above 止 (foot/to walk), showing an army going on an expedition.

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