Definition

1. Noun:

   • Anchor: A heavy object, typically made of metal, that is dropped into the water from a boat or ship to keep it in a fixed location by gripping the seabed.

2. Verb:

   • To anchor: The action of securing a boat or ship in place by dropping an anchor.
   • To moor / to tie up: More generally, to secure a vessel to a fixed point like a pier or buoy.
   • (Figurative) To be anchored / to be stuck: To be held firmly in a particular place, situation, or state, often implying difficulty in moving or changing.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Chiếc neo rất nặng. (The anchor is very heavy.)
  • Tàu đã thả neo. (The ship has dropped anchor.)

• Verb:

  • Họ neo thuyền lại ở vịnh. (They anchored the boat in the bay.)
  • Con tàu neo tại cảng Sài Gòn. (The ship is anchored at Saigon Port.)
  • Công ty bị neo trong một vụ kiện. (The company is stuck in a lawsuit.)

Advanced Usage

• "neo đơn": (Literally: single anchor) Describes a family with very few working-age members, leaving them in a precarious economic situation.

  • Gia đình neo đơn cần được hỗ trợ. (A family with scant labor needs support.)

• "neo người": Similar to "neo đơn," describing a state of being short-handed or lacking people.

  • Nhà họ neo người, làm ăn rất vất vả. (Their household is short-handed, so making a living is very hard.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thả neo (Verb Phrase): To cast anchor, to drop anchor.

  • Thuyền trưởng ra lệnh thả neo. (The captain gave the order to drop anchor.)

• Nhổ neo (Verb Phrase): To weigh anchor, to pull up the anchor and set sail.

  • Đoàn thuyền nhổ neo lúc bình minh. (The fleet weighed anchor at dawn.)

• Chỗ thả neo / Bến neo đậu (Noun Phrase): Anchorage; a place suitable for anchoring vessels.

Synonyms

• Anchor (noun): mooring, hook (nautical).
• To anchor (verb): to moor, to secure, to fasten.
• To be stuck (figurative verb): to be stranded, to be bogged down.

Related Idioms

• Neo bến mới: (Literally: to anchor at a new pier) To settle into a new job, home, or situation.

  • Chúc mừng anh đã neo bến mới. (Congratulations on anchoring at your new home/job.)

• Neo lòng: (Literally: to anchor the heart) To have one's heart settled or attached to someone/something.

  • Bao năm xa quê, lòng vẫn neo nơi ấy. (After years away from home, my heart remains anchored there.)

noun

1. anchor
   • thả neo
     to cast anchor

verb

1. to anchor
   • chỗ thả neo
     anchorage