熏蒸 (xūn zhēng) — (of weather) to be stifling, oppressive; (TCM) to treat with medicinal fumes or steam; to fumigate

Definition

A verb for treating things with smoke or steam — fumigating with herbs (e.g. for pests or TCM therapy), or describing suffocating, smoky heat. As a noun (e.g. 熏蒸剂), it names the fumigation method itself.

(of weather) to be stiflingoppressive(TCM) to treat with medicinal fumes or steamto fumigate

Examples

  • ，熏蒸，。
    Xià tiān de wǔ hòu, tiān qì xūn zhēng, ràng rén chuǎn bú guò qì lái.
    On summer afternoons, the weather is stifling, making it hard to breathe.
  • 熏蒸。
    Zhōng yī yòng cǎo yào xūn zhēng de fāng fǎ zhì liáo fēng shī bìng.
    Chinese medicine treats rheumatism by fumigating with medicinal herbs.
  • 熏蒸。
    Cāng kù lǐ de liáng shi xū yào xūn zhēng shā chóng.
    The grain in the warehouse needs to be fumigated to kill insects.

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.

熏xūnsmoke
蒸zhēngsteam

熏蒸 joins 熏 'smoke' and 蒸 'steam' for fumigation or stifling heat.

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 燻; 熏 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
熏
熏xūn燻xūn
Same sound today

In the traditional form 燻, 火 marks fire or smoke, and 熏 gives the sound; the modern 熏 is a shorter form.

Open 熏 →

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
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
烝
烝zhēng蒸zhēng
Same sound today

蒸 pairs 艸 (grass) with 烝, which gives the sound.

Open 蒸 →

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