水龙带 (shuǐ lóng dài) — canvas water hose; fire hose

Definition

水龙带 is the traditional canvas water hose used by firefighters, named after the old bellows-style 'water dragon' pump. 别 today, most modern hoses are rubber; this term refers specifically to the canvas (帆布) fire hose.

noun
canvas water hosefire hose
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 水龙带。
    Xiāo fáng yuán ná zhe shuǐ lóng dài chōng xiàng huǒ chǎng.
    The firefighters rushed toward the fire with the hose.
  • 水龙带。
    Zhè tiáo shuǐ lóng dài de cháng dù zú gòu cóng lóu xià jiē shuǐ.
    The length of this hose is enough to get water from downstairs.
  • 水龙带。
    Lǎo shì shuǐ lóng dài shì yòng fān bù zhì chéng de.
    Old-style water hoses are made of canvas.

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.

水龙fire pump
水shuǐwater龙lóngdragon
偏正Modifier + head
带dàihose

水龙, literally water dragon, names a fire pump, and 带 is its hose.

Characters in this word

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 龍; 龙 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 龍 originally drew a sacred creature with a large mouth and a snake-like body; the simplified 龙 is the form written here.

Open 龙 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 帶; 带 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 帶 was drawn as a woven belt; the simplified 带 is a later shorthand.

Open 带 →

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