地动仪

地動儀

dìdòngyí

noun

Meanings

1 seismograph
2 seismoscope (specifically Zhang Heng's 132 CE invention)

Characters

instrument; apparatus

Examples

张衡发明了世界上第一台地动仪。

Zhāng Héng fāmíng le shìjiè shàng dì-yī tái dìdòngyí.

Zhang Heng invented the world's first seismograph.

地动仪上的龙嘴会吐出铜球指示地震方向。

Dìdòngyí shàng de lóngzuǐ huì tǔ chū tóngqiú zhǐshì dìzhèn fāngxiàng.

The seismograph's dragon mouths spit out bronze balls to indicate the direction of an earthquake.

Tips

history

Refers specifically to 候风地动仪 (Hòufēng dìdòngyí), built by Han astronomer Zhang Heng 张衡 (Zhāng Héng) in 132 CE. The bronze vessel had eight dragon heads holding balls; an earthquake would tip a ball into the matching toad's mouth below, showing the direction of the tremor — over 1,500 years before any Western equivalent.

Stroke Order

地 dì

动 dòng

仪 yí