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生物武器 (shēng wù wǔ qì) — biological weapon, bacteriological weapon

Definition

noun
biological weaponbacteriological weapon
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 生物武器。
    Guó jì fǎ jìn zhǐ shǐ yòng shēng wù wǔ qì.
    International law prohibits the use of biological weapons.
  • 生物武器。
    shēng wù wǔ qì Duì rén lèi ān quán gòu chéng yán zhòng wēi xié.
    Biological weapons pose a serious threat to human safety.
  • 生物武器。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū rú hé fáng yù shēng wù wǔ qì de gōng jī.
    Scientists are studying how to defend against biological weapon attacks.

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.

生物living thing
生shēnglife物wùthing
偏正Modifier + head
武器weapon
武wǔmartial器qìinstrument
偏正Modifier + head

生物 'living thing' and 武器 'weapon' combine to mean a weapon based on living organisms.

Characters in this word

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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
牛牛niú
Sound part声符shēngfú
勿
勿wù物wù
Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Open 物 →

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

武 puts 戈 (dagger-axe) above 止 (foot/to walk), showing an army going on an expedition.

Open 武 →

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

Open 器 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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