Definition

1. Noun:
   • Thermos flask / Vacuum flask: A container, typically with an inner glass vessel surrounded by a vacuum layer for insulation, used to keep liquids hot or cold for a long time.
   • Plug (electrical): A device with metal pins that connects an electrical appliance to a power supply by being inserted into a socket.
   • Library card / Book slip: A small card or slip of paper used in a library to record the borrowing of a book.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Thermos):
  • Mẹ rót nước sôi từ ấm vào phích. (Mother poured boiling water from the kettle into the thermos flask.)
• Noun (Electrical plug):
  • Cắm phích của quạt vào ổ điện. (Plug the fan's plug into the socket.)
• Noun (Library card):
  • Điền thông tin vào phích để mượn sách. (Fill in the information on the library card to borrow the book.)

Advanced Usage

• "phích nước": This common compound explicitly means "water flask" or "thermos," specifying its primary use for holding liquids.
  • Phích nước này giữ nhiệt rất tốt. (This water flask retains heat very well.)
• "phích cắm": This compound explicitly means "electrical plug."
  • Phích cắm này không vừa ổ điện ở nước ngoài. (This electrical plug does not fit sockets in foreign countries.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bình thủy / Bình giữ nhiệt (n): Synonyms for a thermos or insulated flask.
• Phích ba chạc (n): A three-pin plug.
• Ổ cắm (n): Socket, electrical outlet (the counterpart to a plug).

Synonyms

• Thermos / Vacuum flask: Insulated container.
• Plug / Electrical connector: Device for connecting to electricity.
• Library slip / Charge card: Record for book borrowing.

Notes on Different Meanings

The word "phích" has three distinct, unrelated meanings in Vietnamese. The intended meaning is almost always clear from the context: 1. The container meaning (thermos) is very common in daily life. 2. The electrical meaning (plug) is common in technical or household contexts. 3. The library meaning (card) is specific to library systems and is less common in everyday conversation outside that setting.

1. Thermos flask, vacuum flask
2. Library card
3. (điện) Plug
   • Phích ba chạc
     A three-pin plug