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神经中枢 (shén jīng zhōng shū) — (anatomy) nerve center; (figurative) core command center, hub

Definition

Literally 'nerve center' — the literal sense is a biological command hub (e.g. the brain); figuratively, the central control point of an organization or system.

noun
(anatomy) nerve center(figurative) core command centerhub

Examples

  • 神经中枢。
    Dà nǎo shì rén tǐ zuì zhòng yào de shén jīng zhōng shū.
    The brain is the most important nerve center of the human body.
  • 神经中枢。
    Zhè ge chéng shì shì quán guó de jiāo tōng shén jīng zhōng shū.
    This city is the country's transportation nerve center.
  • 神经中枢。
    Xìn xī chǔ lǐ xì tǒng shì zhěng gè gōng sī de shén jīng zhōng shū.
    The information processing system is the nerve center of the entire company.

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.

神经nerve
神shénspirit经jīngmeridian
偏正Modifier + head
中枢center
中zhōngcentral枢shūpivot
偏正Modifier + head

神经 and 中枢 together give the sense of a central pivot for nerves.

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
示示shìgod; deity
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn神shén
Same sound today

The older form 申 drew lightning, which the ancients regarded as divine; 神 adds 示 (god/deity) to mark that meaning.

Open 神 →

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 經; 经 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mìsilk; thread
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng經jīng
Same sound today

The traditional form 經 combines 糹 (silk; thread) with 巠, which gives the sound.

Open 经 →

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

The original picture showed a flagpole with a drum in the middle, set up in the center of a field.

Open 中 →

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 樞; 枢 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
區
區qū樞⁰shū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 樞 combines 木 (wood) with 區 for the sound; the simplified 枢 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.

Open 枢 →
Appears in
Organs & Anatomy

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