肾上腺 (shèn shàng xiàn) — adrenal gland | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

adrenal gland

Examples

肾上腺。
Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de shèn shàng xiàn gōng néng.
The doctor checked his adrenal gland function.
肾上腺。
shèn shàng xiàn Fēn mì de jī sù duì yā lì fǎn yìng hěn zhòng yào.
The hormones secreted by the adrenal glands are important for the stress response.
肾上腺。
Cháng qī yā lì huì dǎo zhì shèn shàng xiàn pí láo.
Chronic stress can lead to adrenal fatigue.

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.

肾上above kidney

肾shènkidney上shàngabove

偏正Modifier + head

肾 'kidney' and 上 'above' locate the 腺 'gland' above the kidney.

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 腎; 肾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat; flesh

Sound part声符shēngfú

臤

臤qiān腎shèn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 腎 pairs ⺼ (flesh) with 臤 as a sound hint, and it names a body part, the kidneys. The simplified 肾 is a later shorthand.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in

Organs & Anatomy

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