Definition

1. Noun:
   • Boil: A localized, painful, pus-filled swelling on the skin, typically caused by a bacterial infection of a hair follicle. This is the primary meaning, often used in Southern Vietnamese dialects.
   • Pimple/Zit: In some informal contexts, it can refer to a small, inflamed spot on the skin, like a pimple.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Anh ấy bị lên một cái mụt ở lưng. (He has a boil on his back.)
  • Mụt này rất đau và sưng đỏ. (This boil is very painful and red/swollen.)
  • Tránh nặn mụt để không bị nhiễm trùng. (Avoid squeezing the pimple/boil to prevent infection.)

Advanced Usage

• "Lên mụt": To develop/get a boil or a pimple. This is a common collocation.

  • Mùa hè nóng nực dễ khiến da lên mụt. (The hot summer weather can easily cause the skin to break out in boils/pimples.)

• "Mụt bọc": A cystic pimple or a large, deep-seated boil.

  • Mụt bọc thường gây đau nhức và lâu lành. (A cystic boil is often painful and takes a long time to heal.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nhọt (Standard Vietnamese): The more standard term for "boil." "Mụt" is often considered a regional variant of "nhọt."

  • Bác sĩ chẩn đoán bệnh nhân bị nhọt. (The doctor diagnosed the patient with a boil.)

• Mụn: A more general term for various types of skin blemishes, including acne, pimples, and sometimes small boils. "Mụt" can sometimes be used interchangeably with "mụn" in casual speech, but "mụn" is broader.

  • Cô ấy đang điều trị mụn trứng cá. (She is treating her acne.)

Synonyms

• Furuncle (Medical term): A boil.
• Abscess: A broader term for a collection of pus, which can include a boil.
• Skin lesion: A general term for any area of damaged or abnormal skin.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• "Nuôi mụt (nuôi nhọt) trong người": Literally "to nurture a boil inside one's body." This idiom means to harbor resentment, anger, or a grudge without expressing it, letting it fester internally.
  • Đừng nuôi mụt trong người, hãy nói ra để giải quyết. (Don't bottle up your feelings/grudges; speak out to resolve them.)

1. (địa phương) Boil