Definition

1. Noun:
   • Dyke, levee: An embankment built to prevent flooding, typically along rivers or coasts.
   • Thimble: A small protective cap worn on the finger to push a needle when sewing.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Dyke):

  • Người dân đang củng cố con đê. (The people are reinforcing the dyke.)
  • Con đê này bảo vệ cả vùng đồng bằng. (This levee protects the entire delta region.)

• Noun (Thimble):

  • Bà tôi luôn đeo đê khi vá quần áo. (My grandmother always wears a thimble when mending clothes.)
  • Chiếc đê bằng đồng này là của mẹ tôi. (This bronze thimble belongs to my mother.)

Advanced Usage

• "Đê điều": This is a compound term referring to the entire system of dykes and irrigation works.

  • Hệ thống đê điều ở đây rất kiên cố. (The system of dykes and irrigation here is very solid.)

• "Đắp đê": To build or raise a dyke.

  • Hàng nghìn người đã tham gia đắp đê chống lũ. (Thousands of people participated in building dykes against the flood.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đập (n): Dam. A larger, more permanent structure for water retention, often creating a reservoir. (e.g., - hydroelectric dam).
• Kè (n): Revetment, riprap. A structure built to protect a shore or riverbank from erosion.

Synonyms

• Dyke/Levee: Đê is the direct and most common term. Bờ đê can specify the bank or top of the dyke.
• Thimble: Đê is the standard term. Cái đê is also commonly used for clarity.

Related Phrases (Compound Words)

• Vỡ đê: Dyke breach.
  • Tin vỡ đê khiến mọi người hoảng loạn. (The news of the dyke breach caused panic.)
• Đỉnh đê: The crest or top of the dyke.
  • Nước sông đã dâng lên gần tới đỉnh đê. (The river water has risen nearly to the crest of the dyke.)

Notes on Different Meanings

The two primary meanings of "đê" (dyke and thimble) are homonyms—they are spelled and pronounced identically but have completely different origins and meanings. Context is essential for understanding which one is intended. The dyke is a large-scale civil engineering structure, while the thimble is a small, everyday sewing tool.

1. Dyke
   • Mùa nước đê dễ bị vỡ
     During the flood season, dykes easily break
2. Thimble
   • Dùng đê khi hkâu
     To use a thimble when sewing