khoắm
Definition
- Adjective:
- Crooked or hooked (like a claw or beak): Describes something that is curved or bent into a hook-like shape, often referring to the shape of a bird's beak, an animal's claw, or a similar curved object.
- Gnarled or twisted: Can describe something, like a tree branch or a person's fingers, that is twisted and bent.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Mỏ chim ưng rất khoắm. (The eagle's beak is very hooked.)
- Bàn tay ông cụ khoắm lại vì bệnh tật. (The old man's hand became gnarled due to illness.)
Advanced Usage
- This word is relatively rare in modern everyday Vietnamese and is often found in descriptive literary or regional contexts to vividly depict a sharp, curved shape.
Variants and Related Words
- Khoằm: This is a direct variant with the same meaning. The reference note "khoắmnhư khoằm" indicates they are interchangeable.
- Móng khoằm của con mèo. (The cat's hooked claws.)
Synonyms
- Cong: curved, bent.
- Quặp: hooked, clasping (often for beaks/claws).
- Xoắn: twisted.
Related Idioms
- No common idioms specifically use "khoắm." Its variant "khoằm" might appear in descriptive folk similes.
- Mũi khoằm như mỏ diều hâu. (A nose hooked like a hawk's beak.)