Definition

1. Noun (Anatomy, Biology):

   • Follicle: A small sac, cavity, or gland in the body. This is the primary modern medical meaning.
   • Cyst: A closed sac-like structure, often filled with liquid or semi-solid material, that can form in any part of the body.

2. Noun (Archaic/Literary):

   • Pouch / Satchel: A small bag or sack, historically used to carry precious or important items.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Anatomy):

  • Nang trứng là cấu trúc chứa tế bào trứng. (The ovarian follicle is the structure that contains the egg cell.)
  • Nang lông nằm dưới da. (The hair follicle is located under the skin.)
  • Bác sĩ phát hiện một nang lành tính trên thận của bệnh nhân. (The doctor discovered a benign cyst on the patient's kidney.)

• Noun (Archaic):

  • Trong văn học cổ, các nho sĩ thường mang theo nang thơ. (In classical literature, scholars often carried a satchel of poetry.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is most commonly used in modern Vietnamese within compound medical or biological terms. Its meaning is almost always tied to the specific compound.
• The archaic meaning of "pouch" is almost never used in everyday modern conversation but appears in classical literature, proverbs, or historical texts.

Variants and Related Words

• U nang (n): Cyst (specifically a pathological cyst or tumor).
  • Cô ấy vừa phẫu thuật cắt bỏ u nang buồng trứng. (She just had surgery to remove an ovarian cyst.)
• Nang trứng (n): Ovarian follicle.
• Nang lông (n): Hair follicle.
• Nang răng (n): Dental follicle.

Synonyms

• Follicle: A small cavity or sac (anatomical).
• Cyst: A pathological sac (medical).
• Pouch / Bag: A small container (archaic).

Related Idioms

• Một kho vàng không bằng một nang chữ: (Proverb) Literally, "A storehouse of gold is not equal to a pouch of letters." It means knowledge and education are more valuable than material wealth. This proverb preserves the archaic meaning of "nang" as a pouch for carrying valuable things (here, knowledge/writing).

noun

1. (Anat) follicle; follicule