Definition

1. Noun:

   • Rodent: A mammal belonging to the order Rodentia, characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws that must be kept short by gnawing.

2. Verb (rare, literal interpretation of the component words):

   • To gnaw and nibble: The act of biting or chewing on something persistently, often to wear it down or consume it slowly. (Note: This verb form is a direct, literal combination of 'gặm' (gnaw) and 'nhấm' (nibble) and is not the primary dictionary definition of the compound word 'gặm nhấm').

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Chuột và thỏ là những động vật gặm nhấm. (Mice and rabbits are rodents.)
  • Bộ Gặm nhấm là bộ có số loài lớn nhất trong lớp Thú. (The order Rodentia is the largest order of mammals.)

• Verb (literal, illustrative use):

  • Con mèo đang gặm nhấm miếng xương. (The cat is gnawing and nibbling on the bone.) (Note: This usage is descriptive, not the standard zoological term.)

Advanced Usage

• As a scientific/zoological term: Used formally in biology and zoology to classify a major order of mammals.
  • Hầu hết các loài gặm nhấm đều nhỏ bé. (Most rodent species are small.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gặm (verb): To gnaw, to chew on something hard.
  • Con sóc gặm hạt. (The squirrel gnaws on a nut.)
• Nhấm (verb): To nibble, to taste or eat with small bites.
  • Nó nhấm nháp ly rượu. (He sipped/nibbled at his glass of wine.)
• Loài gặm nhấm (noun phrase): Rodent species.
• Động vật gặm nhấm (noun phrase): Rodent, rodent animal.

Synonyms

• Rodent (noun): The direct English equivalent in zoological context.
• Loài ăn cỏ nhỏ có răng cửa phát triển (descriptive phrase): Small herbivores with developed incisors.

Related Phrases / Compound Terms

• Bộ Gặm nhấm (noun phrase): The order Rodentia.
  • Chuột đồng thuộc Bộ Gặm nhấm. (The field mouse belongs to the order Rodentia.)
• Thuốc diệt gặm nhấm (noun phrase): Rodenticide.
• Chuột gặm nhấm (noun phrase, somewhat redundant): Gnawing rodent/rat.

Notes on Usage

• Primary Meaning: In modern Vietnamese, 'gặm nhấm' is almost exclusively used as a noun to refer to the zoological order of rodents. It is a scientific and common classification term.
• Literal vs. Terminological Meaning: While the word is composed of two verbs meaning 'to gnaw' and 'to nibble', it has lexicalized into a fixed noun. Using it as a verb (e.g., "Nó đang gặm nhấm củ cà rốt") is understandable but non-standard and stylistically unusual. The separate verbs 'gặm' or 'nhấm' would be used for the action.
• Formality: It is a standard term used in both everyday language (e.g., when talking about pests) and formal scientific contexts.

1. rodent