消融 (xiāo róng) — to melt (of large ice masses such as glaciers or icecaps); to dissolve, to melt away (of abstract things like barriers, differences, tensions)

Definition

Literate/formal word meaning 'to melt away', used for both glaciers/ice caps and abstract things like misunderstandings or barriers. Less common in everyday speech than 融化.

verb
to melt (of large ice masses such as glaciers or icecaps)to dissolveto melt away (of abstract things like barriers, differences, tensions)

Examples

  • 消融。
    Quán qiú biàn nuǎn dǎo zhì jí dì bīng chuān xùn sù xiāo róng.
    Global warming is causing polar glaciers to melt rapidly.
  • ，消融。
    Jīng guò duō cì gōu tōng, tā men zhī jiān de wù huì zhōng yú xiāo róng le.
    After many rounds of communication, the misunderstanding between them finally melted away.
  • 消融。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū bīng gài xiāo róng de sù dù.
    Scientists are studying the speed at which the ice cap is melting.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

消xiāodissolve
融róngmelt

“消” means dissolve and “融” melt are parallel actions, giving melt away.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào消xiāo
Same sound today

消 has 氵 (water) beside 肖. The water part connects to putting out or making something vanish, and 肖 gives the sound.

Open 消 →

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
鬲鬲gécauldron
Sound part声符shēngfú
蟲
蟲chóng融róng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

融 pairs 鬲, a cauldron, with 蟲, which gives the sound.

Open 融 →

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