食性 (shí xìng) — (biology) feeding pattern, dietary habit

Definition

A biology term for an animal's feeding pattern — what it eats and how (e.g., herbivore, carnivore). Used in scientific writing about animal habits and ecology.

noun
(biology) feeding patterndietary habit

Examples

  • 食性，。
    Zhè zhǒng dòng wù de shí xìng hěn tè bié, zhī chī zhú zi.
    This animal's feeding pattern is very special — it only eats bamboo.
  • 食性。
    Yán jiū dòng wù de shí xìng yǒu zhù yú bǎo hù tā men.
    Studying animals' dietary habits helps protect them.
  • ，食性。
    Bù tóng zhǒng lèi de yú, shí xìng yě wán quán bù tóng.
    Different species of fish have completely different feeding patterns.

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.

食shífeeding
性xìngnature

食 contributes eating and 性 contributes the idea of a natural habit, giving feeding habits.

Characters in this word

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

  • 亼亼jímouth
  • 皀皀jía bowl of rice on a stand

The form behind 食 shows 亼, a mouth, together with 皀, a bowl of rice on a stand. In modern 食, the bowl part has changed shape.

Open 食 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

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