Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Mouldy, mildewed: Describes food or organic matter that has developed a fungal growth due to age, dampness, or spoilage.
   • Perished, spoiled: Indicates that something has gone bad, is no longer fresh, or is in a state of decay.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Bánh mì này đã meo rồi. (This bread has gone mouldy.)
  • Trời nồm khiến tường nhà dễ bị meo. (The humid weather makes house walls prone to mildew.)
  • Mứt để lâu trong hộp có thể bị meo. (Jam kept in a jar for a long time can become perished.)

Advanced Usage

• "meo cau": (idiomatic) To be extremely hungry, to the point of feeling weak or having a sunken stomach. This is a figurative extension from the idea of something shrinking or decaying.
  • Làm việc cả ngày khiến tôi meo cau. (Working all day made me extremely hungry.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mốc (n, adj): Mould, mouldy. This is a more common and standard synonym for "meo".
  • Bánh bị lên mốc. (The cake has grown mould.)
• Meo meo (onomatopoeia): The sound a cat makes ("meow"). This is a homophone but a completely different word and concept.
  • Con mèo kêu meo meo. (The cat goes meow.)

Synonyms

• Hư (adj): Spoiled, rotten (general term for spoiled food).
• Chua (adj): Sour (often used for fermented or spoiled food with a sour taste, but not specifically mouldy).
• Ẩm mốc (adj): Damp and mouldy.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The primary meaning of "meo" is an adjective describing mould or spoilage.
• The onomatopoeic word "meo" (or "meo meo") for a cat's sound is a separate lexical item. They are homophones but have distinct origins and uses. The context always clarifies the intended meaning.

adj

1. mouldy

adj

1. perished