阴极 (yīn jí) — cathode; negative electrode

Definition

noun
cathodenegative electrode
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，阴极。
    Zài diàn chí zhōng, yīn jí lián jiē de shì fù jí.
    In a battery, the cathode is connected to the negative pole.
  • 阴极。
    Diàn liú cóng yīn jí liú xiàng zhèng jí.
    Current flows from the cathode to the anode.
  • 阴极。
    yīn jí Shè xiàn guǎn yǐ jīng bèi yè jīng xiǎn shì qì qǔ dài le.
    Cathode ray tubes have been replaced by liquid crystal displays.

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.

阴yīnnegative
极jípole

阴 gives negative and 极 gives pole, so the negative pole.

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 陰; 阴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
侌
侌yīn陰yīn
Same sound today

The traditional form 陰 combines 阜, the meaning part, with 侌, the sound part. The simplified 阴 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 阴 →

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
及
及jí极jí
Same sound today

极 pairs 木 (tree, wood) with 及, which provides the sound.

Open 极 →

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