Definition

1. Noun:
   • The nape, the back of the neck: "ót" refers specifically to the nape or the scruff of the neck.
   • A dialectal term: This word is primarily used in certain Vietnamese dialects.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Tóc mọc dài ở ót. (Hair grows long at the nape of the neck.)
  • Bé con có một lúm đồng tiền nhỏ xíu ở sau ót. (The baby has a tiny dimple on the back of the neck.)
  • Trời lạnh, cô ấy quàng khăn che kín cả ót. (It's cold, she wrapped a scarf covering even her nape.)

Advanced Usage

• "Nước ót": A dialectal term meaning exhausted or depleted (often used to describe soil after slash-and-burn cultivation).
  • Đất rẫy đã thành nước ót, không thể trồng trọt được nữa. (The slash-and-burn field soil is exhausted and can no longer be cultivated.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gáy: A more common, standard Vietnamese word for the nape of the neck. "Ót" is often considered a dialectal synonym.
  • Vuốt tóc ở gáy. (To smooth the hair at the nape.)

Synonyms

• Nape: The back part of the neck.
• Scruff of the neck: The loose skin at the back of the neck.
• Nucha (technical/medical term): The nape.

Notes on Usage

• Regional Use: The word "ót" is recognized but is considered characteristic of certain dialects. In formal or standard contexts, "gáy" is more frequently used.
• Specificity: It refers precisely to the rear, lower part of the neck where it meets the skull.

noun

1. nape; scruff of the neck