Definition

Noun: * Barometer: An instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure, which can then be used to predict changes in the weather. The word is now considered archaic or literary in modern Vietnamese, with "barometer" or the more common term "áp kế" being preferred in technical and everyday contexts.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông ấy có một chiếc phong vũ biểu cổ rất đẹp. (He has a very beautiful antique barometer.)
  • Người xưa thường dựa vào phong vũ biểu để đoán trước bão. (In the past, people often relied on a barometer to predict storms.)

Advanced Usage

• Used metaphorically: While the literal term is archaic, the concept is sometimes used metaphorically in literature or formal writing to describe something that indicates changes or trends.
  • Thị trường chứng khoán được coi là phong vũ biểu của nền kinh tế. (The stock market is considered a barometer of the economy.)

Variants and Related Words

• Áp kế (n): The modern, standard Vietnamese term for "barometer." It is used in scientific, technical, and general contexts.
  • Theo áp kế, áp suất không khí đang giảm xuống. (According to the barometer, the air pressure is falling.)
• Nhiệt kế (n): Thermometer (instrument for measuring temperature).
• Ẩm kế (n): Hygrometer (instrument for measuring humidity).

Synonyms

• Công cụ đo áp suất khí quyển: Atmospheric pressure measuring instrument.
• Dụng cụ dự báo thời tiết: Weather forecasting instrument.

Related Idioms

• There are no common idioms directly using the term "phong vũ biểu." Its metaphorical use, as shown in the "Advanced Usage" section, functions similarly to the English idiom "a barometer of [something]."

1. (từ cũ) Barometer