骨粉 (gǔ fěn) — bone meal (used as fertilizer or animal feed supplement)

Definition

noun
bone meal (used as fertilizer or animal feed supplement)

Examples

  • 骨粉。
    Nóng mín bǎ gǔ fěn sā zài tián lǐ dāng féi liào.
    Farmers spread bone meal in the fields as fertilizer.
  • 骨粉，。
    Zhè zhǒng gǔ fěn fù hán gài zhì, shì hé jiā zài gǒu liáng lǐ.
    This bone meal is rich in calcium and suitable for adding to dog food.
  • 骨粉，。
    Yuán yì diàn yǒu zhuān mén mài gǔ fěn de, néng cù jìn zhí wù gēn xì shēng zhǎng.
    The garden store sells bone meal specifically, which can promote root growth of plants.

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.

骨gǔbone
粉fěnpowder

骨 gives bone, and 粉 gives powder, so the term means powder made from bone.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
冎
冎guǎ骨gǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.

Open 骨 →

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
分
分fēn粉fěn
Same sound today

粉 pairs 米 (rice) with 分 for its sound. The rice part points to face powder made from rice.

Open 粉 →

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