Definition

1. Noun:
   • Silverfish: A small, wingless insect with a silvery-grey, scaly body and long antennae, commonly found in damp, dark places indoors and known for feeding on starchy materials like paper, glue, or fabric.
   • Lepisma: The scientific genus name (Lepisma saccharina) for this insect.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Tôi thấy một con bọ bạc trong phòng tắm. (I saw a silverfish in the bathroom.)
  • Bọ bạc thường ăn sách và giấy dán tường. (Silverfish often eat books and wallpaper.)
  • Đây là loài Lepisma saccharina, hay còn gọi là bọ bạc. (This is the species Lepisma saccharina, also known as silverfish.)

Advanced Usage

• "bọ bạc bạc": This is a descriptive, sometimes poetic, repetition emphasizing the silvery color. It is not a standard compound but a stylistic variant.
  • Những con bọ bạc bạc lấp lánh dưới ánh đèn. (The silvery silverfish glimmered under the light.)

Variants and Related Words

• Con bọ nhỏ: A small bug/insect (a general term, not specific to silverfish).
• Sâu bạc: Literally "silver worm," an older or less common term that can refer to silverfish or similar larvae.

Synonyms

• Lépisme: The French-derived term used in scientific or formal contexts in Vietnamese.
• Bọ ánh bạc: A descriptive synonym meaning "silver-glistening bug."

Related Phrases

• Bọ phá hủy sách: Book-destroying bug (a descriptive phrase for its habit).
• Côn trùng trong nhà: Household insect (a general category including silverfish).

1. Silver worm, lepisma