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蒸馏 (zhēng liù) — distillation

Definition

The process of boiling a liquid and condensing its vapor to purify it or concentrate its components — the standard term for distillation in chemistry and in making spirits.

noun
distillation

Examples

  • 蒸馏。
    Yòng zhēng liù kě yǐ bǎ shuǐ jìng huà.
    Distillation can be used to purify water.
  • 蒸馏。
    Tā men yòng zhēng liù lái zhì zuò bái jiǔ.
    They use distillation to make baijiu (Chinese liquor).
  • 蒸馏。
    zhēng liù Shì zhòng yào de huà xué fāng fǎ.
    Distillation is an important chemical method.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

蒸zhēngsteam
馏liúdistill

'蒸' means to steam and '馏' means to distill, so the sense is the steaming and condensing process.

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
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
烝
烝zhēng蒸zhēng
Same sound today

蒸 pairs 艸 (grass) with 烝, which gives the sound.

Open 蒸 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 馏 →
Appears in
Physics & Chemistry

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