杀毒
shādú · HSK 5
to disinfect; (computing) to destroy a computer virus
🦠🛡️ 杀 (kill) + 毒 (poison/virus) = kill-virus = antivirus
杀 means kill or slay; 毒 means poison, toxin, or by extension a virus. Together 杀毒 literally means kill-the-virus, the standard term for antivirus software scanning and removing malware.
杀 — 刂 knife radical + 朩 phonetic
杀 (shā) means 'to kill.' The traditional form 殺 shows a hand wielding a weapon (殳) beside a phonetic element. The simplified form keeps a reduced phonetic 朩 over 朩, with the knife radical 刂 originally implied through the weapon component, signaling violent action.
毒 — grass 屮 on top + 母 (mother/below)
Originally an associative compound showing a toxic plant (the 屮/生 element on top) over 毋, suggesting something harmful that must be forbidden. The early meaning was 'poisonous herb,' which broadened to 'poison,' 'toxic,' and figuratively 'cruel' or 'malicious.' The modern form keeps this top-plant + bottom-warning structure.