轮机 (lún jī) — turbine; (marine) engine, ship's engine

Definition

Specialized engineering term covering two senses: a ship's engine/machinery and a turbine (in power plants). Both are technical uses — in everyday speech a boat's engine is usually called 发动机.

noun
turbine(marine) engineship's engine
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 轮机。
    Zhè sōu chuán de lún jī yǐ jīng shǐ yòng le èr shí nián.
    This ship's engine has been in use for 20 years.
  • 轮机。
    Huǒ lì fā diàn chǎng xū yào dìng qī jiǎn xiū lún jī.
    Thermal power plants need regular turbine maintenance.
  • 轮机。
    Gōng chéng shī zhèng zài shè jì xīn xíng lún jī.
    Engineers are designing a new type of turbine.

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.

轮lúnwheel or rotor
机jīmachine

The sense of 轮 wheel or rotor is joined to 机 machine to name a turbine or ship engine.

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 輪; 轮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
侖
侖lún輪lún
Same sound today

The traditional form 輪 uses 車, a carriage, and 侖 for the sound; the simplified 轮 is a later shorthand.

Open 轮 →

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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