Definitions

arc

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "弧" is structurally formed by the semantic component "弓", indicating a bow, and the phonetic element "瓜", which originally guided its pronunciation. Initially, the term referred specifically to a wooden bow used in antiquity, directly aligning with its radical's meaning. Over time, its application expanded beyond archery to describe any object with a curved shape, ultimately becoming the standard linguistic choice for denoting an arc in geometric contexts. This semantic transition from a concrete implement to an abstract mathematical concept illustrates how the character's inherent composition supported its adaptive usage across different domains.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这是一个圆

Zhè shì yī gè yuán hú.

This is a circular arc.

他画了一个形。

Tā huà le yī gè hú xíng.

He drew an arc shape.

彩虹的形状是形的。

Cǎihóng de xíngzhuàng shì húxíng de.

The shape of a rainbow is arc-shaped.

飞机在天空划出一道线。

Fēijī zài tiānkōng huá chū yī dào hú xiàn.

The airplane drew an arc line in the sky.

电工正在修理电炉。

Diàngōng zhèngzài xiūlǐ diàn hú lú.

The electrician is repairing the electric arc furnace.

这幅画中的形构图很巧妙。

Zhè fú huà zhōng de húxíng gòutú hěn qiǎomiào.

The arc composition in this painting is very clever.

在几何学中,是圆的一部分。

Zài jǐhéxué zhōng, hú shì yuán de yī bùfen.

In geometry, an arc is part of a circle.

通过计算,我们确定了最优发射线。

Tōngguò jìsuàn, wǒmen quèdìng le zuì yōu fāshè húxiàn.

Through calculation, we determined the optimal launch arc.