Definition

1. Noun:

   • Cotton: The soft, white fibrous substance that surrounds the seeds of the cotton plant, used for making textiles and padding.
   • Cotton-like material; fluff: Any soft, light, and fluffy substance resembling cotton.
   • Ear; spike: The part of a cereal plant, such as rice or millet, that contains the grains.
   • Bloom; flower: A single flower or blossom.

2. Verb (colloquial):

   • To joke; to banter: To speak in a playful or teasing manner.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Chăn bông rất ấm vào mùa đông. (A cotton blanket is very warm in winter.)
  • Bánh bò có kết cấu như bông. (Banh bo cake has a fluffy texture like cotton wool.)
  • Lúa trĩu bông. (The rice plants are heavy with ears.)
  • Cô ấy được tặng một bông hồng. (She was given a rose.)

• Verb:

  • Anh ấy thích nói bông với bạn bè. (He likes to joke around with his friends.)

Advanced Usage

• "nói bông": to speak jokingly or to tease.

  • Đừng giận, tôi chỉ nói bông thôi. (Don't be angry, I was just teasing.)

• "bông gòn": absorbent cotton, cotton wool (often for medical use).

  • Dùng bông gòn để thấm vết thương. (Use cotton wool to dab the wound.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bông hoa (n): flower, blossom.

  • Bông hoa này rất thơm. (This flower is very fragrant.)

• Bông tai (n): earring.

  • Đôi bông tai đó làm bằng bạc. (Those earrings are made of silver.)

• Bông lau (n): a type of reed mace or cattail; also a cleaning tool (dust mop) made of soft fibers.

  • Cô ấy lau bụi bằng cây bông lau. (She dusts with a feather duster.)

Synonyms

• Cotton: fiber, padding.
• Fluff: fuzz, down.
• Ear: spike, head (of grain).
• Flower: blossom, bloom.
• Joke: kid, tease (verb).

Related Idioms

• Đốt pháo bông: to set off fireworks (literally, "to burn flower firecrackers").

  • Tối giao thừa mọi người cùng đốt pháo bông. (On New Year's Eve, everyone sets off fireworks together.)

• Nhẹ như bông: light as a feather.

  • Chiếc túi này nhẹ như bông. (This bag is light as a feather.)

noun

1. Cotton, cotton-wool
   • ruộng bông
     a cotton field
   • chăn bông
     a padded cotton blanket
2. Cotton-like material, fluff
   • bánh bò bông
     a fluff sponge cake
   • ruốc bông
     fluffy pemmican
3. Ear
   • bông kê
     a millet ear
   • lúa trĩu bông
     the rice plants band under their ears
4. Bloom, flower