Definition

1. Noun:

   • A small arroyo, a small ditch: "rộc" refers to a small, shallow water channel or gully, often formed by erosion or used for drainage.
   • A sunken piece of land between two hills: This meaning describes a piece of land that is lower and situated between two hills.

2. Verb (less common, from historical/regional usage):

   • To become visibly thin, to waste away: This is an older or dialectal meaning indicating rapid weight loss.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Nước mưa chảy thành một con rộc nhỏ. (Rainwater formed a small ditch.)
  • Họ sống ở thung lũng có nhiều rộc. (They live in a valley with many small gullies.)

• Verb (historical/regional):

  • Ông ốm nặng, người rộc đi trông thấy. (He was seriously ill and became visibly thin.)

Advanced Usage

• "ruộng rộc": This is a compound term referring to fields located in or around these sunken land areas or gullies.
  • Vùng này có nhiều ruộng rộc. (This area has many fields in the hollows.)

Variants and Related Words

• rốc: A variant form with the same primary meaning (small arroyo/ditch).
  • Nước đọng lại trong cái rốc. (Water pooled in the small ditch.)

Synonyms

• mương (n): ditch, canal (typically man-made for irrigation).
• ngòi (n): small stream, rivulet.
• khe (n): ravine, gully (often in mountainous areas).

Different Meanings

The word "rộc" primarily functions as a noun in modern standard Vietnamese. The verbal meaning ("to waste away") is considered archaic or dialectal and is rarely used in contemporary language. The primary definition is geographical, describing a landscape feature.

Notes on Usage

• When used as a noun, "rộc" typically describes natural, small-scale geographical features.
• It is more common in descriptive language about the countryside or terrain.
• The compound "ruộng rộc" is a fixed phrase.

1. Small arroyo, small ditch
   • như rốc