Definition

1. Noun:
   • Porcupine: A rodent mammal covered with long, sharp, protective spines or quills. These quills are modified hairs that can be easily detached and embedded in a potential predator as a defense mechanism.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Con nhím cuộn tròn lại khi bị đe dọa. (The porcupine curls up into a ball when threatened.)
  • Nhím là loài ăn đêm. (Porcupines are nocturnal animals.)
  • Tôi đã thấy một con nhím trong rừng. (I saw a porcupine in the forest.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "nhím" is typically used as a common noun to refer to the animal. In biological classification, it can be part of compound terms specifying types, such as "nhím lông" (a general term) or "nhím biển" (sea urchin, literally "sea porcupine"), though the latter is a different marine organism.

Variants and Related Words

• Nhím biển (n): Sea urchin. A spiny, globular animal that lives on the ocean floor.
  • Nhím biển có gai rất sắc. (Sea urchins have very sharp spines.)
• Họ nhím (n): The family Hystricidae, which includes Old World porcupines.

Synonyms

• Porcupine: The direct and most accurate translation.
• Spiny animal: A general descriptive term.

Related Idioms and Expressions

• While there are few common idioms directly featuring "nhím", its characteristic quills are sometimes referenced metaphorically in Vietnamese to describe a person who is prickly, difficult to approach, or easily defensive.
  • Anh ta như con nhím, ai lại gần cũng bị gai chọc. (He is like a porcupine; anyone who gets close gets pricked by his spines.)

1. Porcupine
   • con nhím