泄洪道 (xiè hóng dào) — flood-relief channel, spillway

Definition

A flood-relief channel or spillway — an engineered structure built to release excess water from a reservoir or river to prevent flooding.

noun
flood-relief channelspillway
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 泄洪道，。
    Shuǐ kù de xiè hóng dào zhèng zài fàng shuǐ, qǐng xià yóu jū mín zhù yì ān quán.
    The reservoir's spillway is releasing water; please pay attention to safety, residents downstream.
  • 泄洪道。
    Zhèng fǔ jué dìng dǎ kāi xiè hóng dào yǐ jiàng dī shuǐ wèi.
    The government decided to open the flood-relief channel to lower the water level.
  • 泄洪道。
    Zhè tiáo xiè hóng dào néng chéng shòu bǎi nián yí yù de hóng shuǐ.
    This spillway can withstand a once-in-a-century flood.

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.

泄洪release flood
泄xièrelease洪hóngflood
动宾Verb + object
道dàochannel

“泄洪” means release floodwater and “道” is a channel, so the passage is for flood relief.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 洩; 泄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
曳
曳yè洩xiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 洩, 氵 marks the water-related meaning, while 曳 gives the sound; the simplified 泄 is a later abbreviation.

Open 泄 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
共
共gòng洪hóng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

洪 is built from 水 (water) and 共 (gòng), with 共 giving the sound.

Open 洪 →

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
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

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