The Chinese word **灌木** (guànmù, meaning "shrub" or "bush") is a compound noun formed through semantic combination: the character **灌** (guàn) primarily means "to pour" or "to irrigate," but in this context, it extends to convey the sense of "thick, spreading, or clustered growth," while **木** (mù) means "tree" or "wood." Thus, the term literally describes a woody plant that grows in a low, dense, and spreading manner—like water poured out and covering an area—effectively distinguishing it from a single-trunked tree (树木).