Definition

Noun: 1. Zinc: A bluish-white metallic chemical element (symbol Zn), resistant to corrosion, often used for galvanizing iron and steel, in alloys (like brass), and in batteries. 2. (Archaic/Literary) Mountain pass, gorge, defile: A narrow passage between mountains or hills.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Zinc):
  • Mái nhà được lợp bằng kẽm. (The roof is covered with zinc.)
  • Sắt thép thường được mạ kẽm để chống gỉ. (Iron and steel are often zinc-plated to prevent rust.)
  • Đồng xu ngày xưa được đúc từ kẽm. (Old coins were minted from zinc.)
• Noun (Mountain pass):
  • Đoàn người đi qua kẽm núi. (The group of people passed through the mountain defile.)

Advanced Usage

• "kẽm gai": Barbed wire. (Note: This is a compound noun where "kẽm" refers to the wire material.)
  • Hàng rào kẽm gai. (A barbed wire fence.)
• "tiền kẽm": Zinc coins (historical currency).
  • Lưu hành tiền kẽm vào thế kỷ 19. (Zinc coins circulated in the 19th century.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mạ kẽm / Tráng kẽm (v): To galvanize, to zinc-plate.
  • Ống nước mạ kẽm. (Galvanized water pipes.)
• Tấm kẽm / Kẽm lá (n): Zinc sheet, zinc plate.
  • Lợp mái bằng tấm kẽm. (To roof with zinc sheets.)
• Kẽm oxit (n): Zinc oxide (a compound used in ointments, paints, etc.).

Synonyms

• (For meaning 1: Zinc): Tên nguyên tố: Zn (chemical symbol).
• (For meaning 2: Mountain pass): Đèo, hẽm núi, cửa ải.

Related Phrases / Idioms

• "Kẽm Trống": A famous historical and poetic reference to a specific mountain pass in Vietnam, often cited in literature (e.g., by poet Hồ Xuân Hương).
  • "...có phải đây là Kẽm Trống không?" ("...could this be Kẽm Trống?")

noun

1. zinc
   • kẽm lá
     zinc plate