榴霰弹 (liú sǎn dàn) — shrapnel shell; shrapnel

Definition

noun
shrapnel shellshrapnel
Measure word · 颗

Examples

  • 榴霰弹。
    Zhè zhǒng liú sǎn dàn zài zhàn chǎng shàng shā shāng lì hěn dà.
    This type of shrapnel shell is very lethal on the battlefield.
  • 榴霰弹，。
    Shì bīng men fā shè le liú sǎn dàn, cuī huǐ le dí rén de zhèn dì.
    The soldiers fired shrapnel shells and destroyed the enemy's position.
  • 榴霰弹。
    Lì shǐ bó wù guǎn lǐ chén liè zhe yì méi liú sǎn dàn.
    A shrapnel shell is displayed in the history museum.

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.

榴霰pomegranate-like pellets
榴liúpomegranate霰xiànpellets
偏正Modifier + head
弹tánshell

榴 suggests pomegranate-like fragments, 霰 are small pellets, and 弹 is the shell.

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mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
留
留liú榴liú
Same sound today

The left side 木 marks a tree, while the right side 留 gives the character its sound.

Open 榴 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōng
Sound part声符shēngfú
單
單dān彈tán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Open 弹 →

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