The Chinese word 触手 (chùshǒu, meaning "tentacle") is a compound noun formed through a straightforward semantic combination: the character 触 (chù) means "to touch" or "to contact," and 手 (shǒu) means "hand." Together, they create the vivid metaphorical concept of a "touching hand," which descriptively and logically refers to the flexible, grasping appendages of animals like octopuses or jellyfish, perfectly capturing their function as sensory and manipulative organs.