lô-cốt
Definition
- Noun:
- A blockhouse or pillbox: A small, fortified concrete structure, typically used for military defense, equipped with openings to allow weapons to be fired from within.
- (Figurative) A stubborn or rigid person: Someone who is extremely conservative, set in their ways, and difficult to persuade or enlighten.
Usage Examples
Noun (military structure):
- Quân đội đã xây dựng nhiều lô-cốt dọc theo biên giới. (The army built many blockhouses along the border.)
- Lô-cốt cũ từ thời chiến vẫn còn đứng đó. (The old pillbox from the war era still stands there.)
Noun (figurative, person):
- Ông ấy là một lô-cốt, chẳng chịu nghe ý kiến mới nào. (He is a blockhead, refusing to listen to any new ideas.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in historical or military contexts to describe defensive positions from past wars, particularly the French and American wars in Vietnam.
- In modern colloquial use, calling someone a "lô-cốt" is a strong criticism of their inflexible and outdated mindset.
Variants and Related Words
- Đồn bốt (n): A military post or station, often larger than a .
- Khu vực này có nhiều đồn bốt của địch. (This area has many enemy posts.)
Synonyms
- Blockhouse: A reinforced concrete military strongpoint.
- Pillbox: A small concrete fort for machine guns or antitank weapons.
- Bunker: A defensive military shelter.
- Die-hard (for the figurative meaning): A person who stubbornly resists change.
Related Idioms
- Cứng như lô-cốt: As stubborn/rigid as a blockhouse. Used to describe an unyielding attitude.
- Tính anh ấy cứng như lô-cốt. (His character is as stubborn as a blockhouse.)