Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Rotten, decayed, hollowed out: Describes wood or similar materials that have been eaten away from the inside, becoming hollow and brittle, typically due to insects like termites or natural decay.
   • Corroded, eaten through: Can describe something that has been thoroughly and destructively hollowed out.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Mối dục luỗng cả tấm gỗ. (The whole board is rotten because of white ants.)
  • Cây cột bị mối đục luỗng. (The pillar has been hollowed out by termites.)
  • Gỗ để lâu ngoài trời có thể bị luỗng. (Wood left outside for a long time can become rotten.)

Advanced Usage

• "luỗng ruỗng": An intensified form, emphasizing a state of being completely hollowed out and fragile.
  • Khúc gỗ ấy đã mục luỗng ruỗng. (That log has become completely rotten and hollow.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mục (adj): Rotten, decayed. Often used more generally for organic decay, while "luỗng" specifically implies being hollowed out.
• Rỗng (adj): Hollow, empty. Refers to the empty space itself, not the process of decay.

Synonyms

• Mục nát: Rotten, decayed.
• Rỗng ruột: Hollowed out (literally "hollow intestines").

Notes on Meaning

• The primary meaning of "luỗng" focuses on the result of being eaten away or decayed from the inside, leaving a hollow, weakened structure. It is not typically used for surface-level damage.
• It is most commonly used in the context of damage caused by wood-boring insects like termites ("mối").

1. Rotten, decayed
   • Mối dục luỗng cả tấm gỗ
     The whole board is rotten because of white ants; white ants have corrded the whole board