Definition

1. Noun:
   • Anchor: A heavy iron device with flukes (claws) designed to be dropped to the bottom of a body of water to hold a ship or boat in place, preventing it from drifting.
   • Figurative, something that provides stability or security: Something that serves as a source of stability, support, or security in one's life or a situation.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Literal):
  • Con tàu thả mỏ neo để đứng yên trong cơn bão. (The ship dropped anchor to stay still in the storm.)
  • Thủy thủ kiểm tra mỏ neo trước khi ra khơi. (The sailor checked the anchor before setting sail.)
• Noun (Figurative):
  • Gia đình là mỏ neo của anh ấy trong cuộc sống. (His family is his anchor in life.)
  • Cô ấy tìm thấy mỏ neo tinh thần trong công việc tình nguyện. (She found a spiritual anchor in volunteer work.)

Advanced Usage

• "buông mỏ neo" / "thả mỏ neo": To drop anchor.
  • Thuyền trưởng ra lệnh thả mỏ neo. (The captain ordered to drop anchor.)
• "nhổ mỏ neo" / "kéo mỏ neo": To weigh anchor (to pull up the anchor).
  • Trời sáng, họ nhổ mỏ neo để tiếp tục hành trình. (At dawn, they weighed anchor to continue the journey.)
• "ném mỏ neo": To cast anchor (a more forceful or specific action of dropping the anchor).
  • Họ phải ném mỏ neo khẩn cấp khi gặp bão. (They had to cast anchor urgently when encountering a storm.)

Variants and Related Words

• Neo (n): A less common, abbreviated form for "mỏ neo", primarily used in nautical contexts or compounds.
  • tàu neo (anchored ship)
• Cái neo: A more colloquial or descriptive term for an anchor.
• Mỏ: Literally means "beak" or "jaw", here it refers to the fluke/claw part of the anchor.
• Bánh lái: Rudder (a related nautical term for steering, distinct from anchoring).

Synonyms

• Vật giữ chặt, điểm tựa: Something that holds fast, a fulcrum or support point (figurative synonym).
• Vật định vị, vật cố định: A positioning or fixing device (general synonym).

Related Phrases (Collocations)

• Mỏ neo tàu thuyền: Ship's anchor.
• Mỏ neo tình cảm: Emotional anchor.
• Mỏ neo hy vọng: Anchor of hope.

Related Idioms

• Làm mỏ neo (cho ai/điều gì): To act as an anchor (for someone/something).
  • Người thầy ấy đã làm mỏ neo cho bao thế hệ học trò. (That teacher has been an anchor for many generations of students.)
• Tìm được mỏ neo: To find one's anchor (to find stability or purpose).
  • Sau nhiều năm bôn ba, anh ấy cuối cùng cũng tìm được mỏ neo. (After many years of wandering, he finally found his anchor.)

noun

1. anchor. anchor