Definition

1. Verb:
   • To feed (from mouth to mouth): The primary meaning of "mớm" is the act of transferring food directly from one's own mouth into the mouth of another, typically done by a parent for a very young child or by a bird for its chicks.
   • To do tentatively / as a trial: In certain contexts, particularly in crafts like woodworking, "mớm" means to make a preliminary, rough, or trial cut or action to test or gauge something.

Usage Examples

• Verb (to feed):

  • Chim mẹ mớm mồi cho chim con. (The mother bird feeds the chicks from her beak.)
  • Bà mớm cơm cho cháu. (The grandmother feeds the baby rice from her mouth.)

• Verb (to do tentatively):

  • Thợ mộc đục mớm một lỗ trên tấm ván. (The carpenter makes a tentative cut of a hole on the plank.)

Advanced Usage

• The action of "mớm" implies care, nurturing, and a direct, intimate transfer. It is almost exclusively used for the care of the very young or helpless.
• In the trial sense, "mớm" describes an initial, often rough action that is not final, serving as a guide or test for subsequent precise work.

Variants and Related Words

• Mớm mồi (v): Literally "to feed morsels"; specifically used for birds feeding their young.
• Mớm cơm (v): Literally "to feed rice"; commonly used for a caregiver feeding a baby.

Synonyms

• To feed (mouth-to-mouth): The core action.
• To regurgitate food: Specifically for birds (a biological synonym for the action).
• To trial-fit / to rough-cut: For the tentative action in crafting.

Related Idioms

• While "mớm" itself is not commonly found in many idioms, the concept is central to the phrase "mớm cơm, mớm cháo", which emphasizes the intimate, hands-on care involved in raising a very young child.

1. Feed from one's mouth (beak)
   • Chim mẹ mớm mồi cho chim con
     The mother bird felds its flegelinh from its beak
   • Mẹ mớm cơm cho con
     The mother feeds her baby from her mouth
2. Summarily as a trial
   • Đục mớm một lỗ mộng
     To cut summarily a mortise as a trial