离心机 (lí xīn jī) — centrifuge

Definition

noun
centrifuge
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 离心机。
    Shí yàn shì lǐ yǒu yì tái lí xīn jī.
    There is a centrifuge in the lab.
  • 离心机。
    Yī shēng yòng lí xīn jī fēn lí xuè yè chéng fèn.
    Doctors use a centrifuge to separate blood components.
  • 离心机。
    Zhè zhǒng lí xīn jī kě yǐ gāo sù xuán zhuǎn.
    This kind of centrifuge can spin at high speed.

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.

离心centrifugal
离líleave心xīncenter
动宾Verb + object
机jīmachine

'离心' and '机' describe a machine that separates contents by spinning away from the center.

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 離; 离 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
离
离lí離lí
Same sound today

The traditional form 離 pairs 隹, a bird, with the sound part 离; the simplified 离 is a shorthand. This form first wrote a black-naped oriole, and the sound was borrowed for 'leave'.

Open 离 →

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

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Open 心 →

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
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →

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