螅

xī

息 + 虫

Definitions

xī used in 水螅[shuǐ xī]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 息 represents the sound.

Semantic: 虫 Phonetic: 息

About

螅 (xī) is a phono-semantic compound: the radical 虫 (chóng) on the left indicates an animal, especially invertebrates, while 息 (xī) on the right supplies the sound. It is a modern coinage created to translate terms for simple aquatic invertebrates of the phylum Cnidaria. The character functions as a bound morpheme in biological terminology, appearing in compounds like 水螅 (hydra) and 珊瑚螅 (coral polyp). As a highly specialized scientific term, it has no extended metaphorical or colloquial uses and remains confined to academic texts on the anatomy and taxonomy of these organisms.

Example Sentences Hide

水螅生活在淡水中。

Shuǐxī shēnghuó zài dànshuǐ zhōng.

Hydra lives in freshwater.

我们可以用放大镜看水螅。

Wǒmen kěyǐ yòng fàngdàjìng kàn shuǐxī.

We can use a magnifying glass to look at hydra.

水螅的身体是半透明的。

Shuǐxī de shēntǐ shì bàntòumíng de.

The body of hydra is translucent.

水螅用触手捕捉食物。

Shuǐxī yòng chùshǒu bǔzhuō shíwù.

Hydra uses its tentacles to capture food.

这种水螅喜欢清洁的水域。

Zhè zhǒng shuǐxī xǐhuan qīngjié de shuǐyù.

This type of hydra prefers clean waters.

在实验室里培养水螅并不难。

Zài shíyànshì lǐ péiyǎng shuǐxī bìng bù nán.

Cultivating hydra in the laboratory is not difficult.

水螅的再生现象常被生物学研究。

Shuǐxī de zàishēng xiànxiàng cháng bèi shēngwùxué yánjiū.

The regeneration phenomenon of hydra is often studied in biology.

通过研究水螅纲动物，科学家探索进化过程。

Tōngguò yánjiū shuǐxī gāng dòngwù, kēxuéjiā tànsuǒ jìnhuà guòchéng.

By studying hydrozoans, scientists explore evolutionary processes.

Related Characters

Component: 息

Component: 虫