Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Very hunched or stooped: Describes a back that is extremely bent or curved forward, often due to age, weakness, or a heavy load.
   • Making a clattering, bumping sound: Describes a series of dull, clunky, and often repetitive sounds made by hard objects knocking together or jolting, like wheels on a rough road.
   • Dilapidated, rickety: Describes an object (like a vehicle or machine) that is old, worn-out, and makes noise because its parts are loose or broken.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Hunched):
  • Ông cụ lưng còng cọc vì tuổi già. (The old man has a very hunched back due to old age.)
• Adjective (Sound):
  • Chiếc xe bò kêu còng cọc trên con đường đá. (The ox cart made a clattering sound on the stone road.)
• Adjective (Dilapidated):
  • Anh ấy đạp chiếc xe đạp còng cọc. (He rides a rickety bicycle.)

Advanced Usage

• Onomatopoeic Use: The word is often used as an onomatopoeia to directly imitate the sound it describes.
  • Nghe tiếng còng cọc, tôi biết xe ngựa đang đến. (Hearing the clatter-clunk, I knew the horse cart was coming.)

Variants and Related Words

• Còng (adj): Hunched, bent over. This is the root adjective, while "còng cọc" intensifies the meaning or adds a descriptive sound element.
  • Lưng còng. (A hunched back.)

Synonyms

• Hunched: Bent over, stooped.
• Clattering: Making a series of rapid, loud, hard sounds.
• Rickety: Shaky, likely to break, in poor condition.

Related Idioms and Expressions

• Đường còng cọc: A very bumpy, rough, and uneven road.
  • Đoạn đường vào làng còng cọc khó đi. (The road into the village is bumpy and difficult to travel.)
• Tiếng động còng cọc: A clunking, jolting noise.
  • Có tiếng động còng cọc phát ra từ máy. (There was a clunking noise coming from the machine.)

noun

1. Cormorant