毛虫 (máo chóng) — caterpillar | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

caterpillar

Measure word · 条

毛虫。
Zhè zhī máo chóng de máo shì huáng sè de.
The hairs of this caterpillar are yellow.
毛虫。
máo chóng Huì biàn chéng piào liang de hú dié.
Caterpillars turn into beautiful butterflies.
，毛虫。
Xiǎo xīn, yǒu xiē máo chóng shì yǒu dú de.
Be careful—some caterpillars are poisonous.

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.

毛 names the hairy covering and 虫 the creature, so the term means a hairy caterpillar.

Characters in this word

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

毛 is drawn as a feather or hair, with its strokes tracing the shape of the feather or hair.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 蟲; 虫 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 蟲 is the one the reference discusses; 虫 is also a traditional character on its own.

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