迫击炮 (pǎi jī pào) — mortar (weapon) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A short-barreled artillery weapon that fires shells in a high arc at close-to-mid range. The measure word is 门.

noun

mortar (weapon)

Measure word · 门

Examples

迫击炮。
pǎi jī pào Shì yì zhǒng zhòng yào de bù bīng zhī yuán wǔ qì.
The mortar is an important infantry support weapon.
迫击炮，。
Shì bīng men xùn sù jià shè pǎi jī pào, xiàng dí zhèn dì shè jī.
The soldiers quickly set up the mortar and fired at the enemy position.
迫击炮。
Zhè zhǒng pǎi jī pào de shè chéng kě yǐ dá dào shù gōng lǐ.
This type of mortar has a range of several kilometers.

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.

迫击press and strike

迫pòpress击jīstrike

联合Coordinate

迫 (press) and 击 (strike) describe the weapon's action, and 炮 names the gun.

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.

辶白迫

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuò

Sound part声符shēngfú

白

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

The form 迫 pairs the walking radical 辶 (written in full as 辵) with 白, which gives the sound.

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 擊; 击 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

毄

毄jī擊jī

Same sound today

The traditional form 擊 has 手 (hand) and 毄; 毄 gives the sound and also points to striking, while the simplified 击 is a later shorthand.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

火包炮

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

包

包bāo炮pào

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

炮 combines 火 and 包; 包 supplies the sound.

Appears in

Military & Defense

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