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測鉛 (そくえん, sokuen) Japanese meaning: sounding lead | Kotomora

測そく鉛えん

そ

く

え

ん

Meanings

1

sounding lead; plummet

A weight on a line used to measure water depth or to test vertical alignment. Technical term used in surveying, navigation, and construction.

測そく鉛えんを使つかって水すい深しんを測はかる。
Measure the water depth using a sounding lead.

Kanji

測fathom, plan, scheme
鉛lead

Related words

鉛えん直ちょく
鉛直 means 'vertical' or 'perpendicular', often used in physics and engineering, while 測鉛 is the physical tool (plummet) used to establish a vertical line or measure depth.
水すい深しん測そく量りょう
水深測量 is the general process of bathymetric surveying, whereas 測鉛 is a specific instrument used in such surveys.

Etymology

Compound of 測 (measure) and 鉛 (lead), referring to a lead weight used for measuring. The term is a straightforward technical coinage.

昔むかしの船ふねは測そく鉛えんで海かい底ていの深ふかさを調しらべた。

Old ships checked the depth of the seabed with a plummet.