The Chinese word for syphilis, 梅毒 (méidú), is a compound term formed through descriptive medical etymology: the first character 梅 (méi) means "plum", historically referring to the plum-blossom-like sores or rashes that characterize secondary syphilis, while the second character 毒 (dú) means "poison" or "toxin", indicating its nature as a virulent disease. Thus, the term literally translates to "plum poison", directly referencing the visual symptomology observed in patients and classifying it as a poisonous affliction within traditional Chinese medical nomenclature.