火力点 (huǒ lì diǎn) — firing point (military position for weapons)

Definition

A military term for a specific position or emplacement from which weapons are fired — a 'firing point' rather than a general battlefield (战场) or a fortification (工事).

noun
firing point (military position for weapons)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 火力点。
    Dí rén de huǒ lì diǎn hěn nán bèi fā xiàn.
    The enemy's firing point is hard to detect.
  • 火力点。
    Wǒ jūn cuī huǐ le sān gè huǒ lì diǎn.
    Our army destroyed three firing points.
  • 火力点。
    Zhēn chá bīng zhǎo dào le yǐn cáng de huǒ lì diǎn.
    The scout found the hidden firing point.

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.

火力firepower
火huǒfire力lìpower
偏正Modifier + head
点diǎnpoint

火 fire and 力 power form firepower, which marks a 点 point where weapons fire.

Characters in this word

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

火 is a simple drawing of a fire, with flames shown rising upward.

Open 火 →

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

力 is drawn as either an arm bending out from the side of the body or a wooden plough.

Open 力 →

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 點; 点 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
黑黑hēiblack
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn點diǎn(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 點 pairs 黑 (black) with 占 for its sound; the simplified 点 is a later abbreviation.

Open 点 →

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