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狱卒 (yù cù) — prison guard, jailer

Definition

noun
prison guardjailer
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 狱卒。
    Nà ge yù cù měi tiān dōu yào xún shì láo fáng sān cì.
    That prison guard has to patrol the cells three times every day.
  • 狱卒，。
    yù cù Dǎ kāi le láo mén, ràng fàn rén chū lái fàng fēng.
    The jailer opened the cell door to let the prisoners out for exercise.
  • 狱卒。
    Zhè wèi lǎo yù cù zài jiān yù gōng zuò le sān shí nián.
    This veteran prison guard has worked at the prison for thirty years.

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.

狱yùprison
卒zúguard

狱 means prison and 卒 means guard, so the word names a guard in a prison.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 獄; 狱 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 獄 pairs 㹜 (two dog forms) with 言 (words), showing dogs barking at each other in a jail with guard dogs. The simplified 狱 is a later shorthand.

Open 狱 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

Early forms of 卒 drew a completed piece of clothing, with a mark showing it was to be folded.

Open 卒 →
Appears in
Crime & PoliceProfessions & Jobs

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