Definitions

luó (noun) snail; spiral shell; conch

Etymology phono-semantic

insect

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "螺" is structured with the radical 虫 on the left, indicating its association with creatures, and the component 累 on the right, which primarily serves a phonetic function. Etymologically, it originally denoted spiral-shelled aquatic animals like snails and conches, directly linking the creature radical to its biological referents. Over time, the meaning extended from these living organisms to describe any spiral form or object, encompassing mechanical items such as screws and propellers, as well as natural phenomena like whirlpools, thereby reflecting a semantic shift from specific fauna to abstract geometrical and functional concepts.

Example Sentences Hide

丝掉在地上了。

Luósī diào zài dìshàng le.

The screw fell on the ground.

他用丝刀拧丝。

Tā yòng luósīdāo nǐng luósī.

He uses a screwdriver to tighten the screw.

旋楼梯很漂亮。

Luóxuán lóutī hěn piàoliang.

The spiral staircase is very beautiful.

妈妈炒了一盘蛳。

Māma chǎo le yī pán luósī.

Mom stir-fried a plate of river snails.

母和栓要配套。

Luómǔ hé luóshuān yào pèitào.

Nuts and bolts must be matched.

这种壳有黑白条纹。

Zhè zhǒng luóké yǒu hēi bái tiáowén.

This kind of snail shell has black and white stripes.

直升机依靠旋桨起飞。

Zhíshēngjī yīkào luóxuánjiǎng qǐfēi.

Helicopters rely on propellers to take off.

工程师设计了新型旋装置。

Gōngchéngshī shèjì le xīnxíng luóxuán zhuāngzhì.

The engineer designed a new type of spiral device.