The word 爆米花 is formed by combining three vivid pictorial-logical components that sequentially depict the process of making popcorn: 爆 (bào) meaning "to explode or burst" captures the action of heating, 米 (mǐ) meaning "rice" but here understood as "kernels" (of corn) represents the raw material, and 花 (huā) meaning "flower" visually describes the puffed, blossomed shape of the final product. Together, they create a direct, almost cinematic sequence, exploding kernels becoming flower-like puffs, directly mirroring the transformation in the snack's preparation.