The word 手套 is formed by directly combining two characters: 手 (shǒu), meaning "hand", and 套 (tào), meaning a "covering" or "sheath". It is a literal, pictorial compound where the first character identifies the object of reference (the hand) and the second character describes its essential function and form (a covering that encloses it). Thus, the entire compound visually and conceptually represents an item designed specifically to cover and protect the hand, a glove.