阑尾 (lán wěi) — appendix (anatomy) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

appendix (anatomy)

Measure word · 条

阑尾，。
Tā de lán wěi fā yán le, xū yào mǎ shàng zuò shǒu shù.
His appendix is inflamed and needs surgery immediately.
阑尾，。
Yī shēng bǎ lán wěi qiē chú le, shǒu shù hěn chéng gōng.
The doctor removed the appendix, and the surgery was very successful.
阑尾。
lán wěi Zài rén tǐ nèi sì hū méi yǒu tè bié zhòng yào de gōng néng.
The appendix doesn't seem to have a particularly important function in the human body.

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.

阑lánclosed end

阑 suggests a closed end and 尾 means tail, naming the small tail-like organ.

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 闌; 阑 is its simplified writing.

門柬闌

Meaning part形符xíngfú

門門méndoor

Sound part声符shēngfú

柬

柬jiǎn闌lán

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

The traditional form 闌 pairs 門 (door) with 柬, which supplies the sound; the simplified 阑 is a later abbreviation.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

尸毛尾

The form 尾 combines 尸 (person) and 毛 (hair; feather).

Appears in