Definitions
(adj)
flat
Etymology
Pictograph of a signboard attached to a door. Based on the original meaning "signboard". The meaning later shifted to "tablet" and "flat".
About
The character "扁" originates from its compositional elements, with 户 representing a door and 冊 referring to wooden slips or tablets, together depicting a flat identifying plaque affixed to a doorframe. This concrete reference to a door-mounted object provided the foundation for its core meaning of flatness, which gradually expanded to describe any thin, even surface or shape. Over time, the term's usage broadened beyond mere physical description, incorporating applications such as "扁舟" for a small flat-bottomed boat and adopting a verbal sense meaning to press or crush something into a flat state. While its graphical form has seen little alteration, the semantic journey of "扁" reflects a shift from a specific functional item to a versatile word encapsulating both literal and applied notions of flatness.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个纸箱被压得很扁。
妈妈今天买了扁豆。
他用扁担挑着两桶水。
别把面包压扁了。
他的扁桃体有些发炎。
他一拳把沙袋打扁了。
足球没气，已经扁了。
不要看扁别人的努力。