Definition

1. Noun:
   • A lead seal: A small, often stamped, piece of lead used to secure and authenticate something, such as a container, document, or valve, by being crimped around a wire or strap. It indicates that the item has not been tampered with since sealing.
   • Lead (the material): In this specific compound, "chì" means lead, the soft, heavy, malleable metallic element (Pb).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Hải quan đã đóng cặp chì vào container. (Customs sealed the container with a lead seal.)
  • Cặp chì trên đồng hồ nước bị vỡ. (The lead seal on the water meter is broken.)
  • Họ dùng cặp chì để niêm phong các thùng hàng. (They used lead seals to seal the cargo crates.)

Advanced Usage

• "Đóng cặp chì": To affix/apply a lead seal.

  • Sau khi kiểm tra, nhân viên sẽ đóng cặp chì. (After inspection, the officer will apply a lead seal.)

• "Tháo cặp chì" / "Cắt cặp chì": To remove/cut off a lead seal.

  • Chỉ được tháo cặp chì khi có sự chứng kiến. (The lead seal may only be removed in the presence of a witness.)

Variants and Related Words

• Niêm phong (bằng chì): To seal (with lead). This is a descriptive phrase for the action.
• Chì: Lead (the raw material).
• Dấu chì: Another term for a lead seal, emphasizing the stamped mark or impression.
• Plomb (French loanword): Sometimes used in technical/legacy contexts to mean a lead seal.

Synonyms

• Dấu niêm phong: Seal (a more general term that can be made of other materials like plastic or metal).
• Ấn chì: Lead stamp/seal (similar meaning, focusing on the stamped impression).

Related Phrases

• Bịt kín bằng chì: To seal tightly with lead (e.g., in plumbing or electrical contexts).
  • Mối nối ống được bịt kín bằng chì. (The pipe joint was sealed with lead.)

Notes on Meaning

• The term "cặp chì" is a compound noun where "cặp" implies a fastener or clamp that holds two things together, and "chì" is the material. It almost exclusively refers to a security or authentication seal made of lead. It does not mean a "pair" of lead objects.
• In modern contexts, seals are often made of plastic, but the term "cặp chì" may still be used generically for such security seals, especially in official or customs procedures.

1. Seal with lead, lead