Definition

1. Noun:
   • Habitus (in medicine): The general physical appearance or constitution of a person, often used as an indicator of health or predisposition to certain diseases. It encompasses posture, physique, body type, and facial expression.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Bác sĩ quan sát sắc mạo của bệnh nhân để đánh giá tình trạng sức khỏe chung. (The doctor observed the patient's habitus to assess their general health condition.)
  • Sắc mạo ốm yếu có thể là dấu hiệu của một bệnh lý tiềm ẩn. (A sickly habitus can be a sign of an underlying pathology.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is highly specialized and used almost exclusively in clinical, medical, or anthropological contexts. It is a formal term for the overall observable characteristics of a person's body.

Variants and Related Words

• Thể trạng: Physical condition or constitution. (A more common, general term).
• Tạng người: Body type, somatotype. (Refers specifically to physique classification).
• Dung mạo: Countenance, appearance (especially of the face). (A broader, more general term for appearance, not specific to medicine).

Synonyms

• Thể chất: Physique, physical build.
• Ngoại hình: Physical appearance, outward appearance (less technical).

Notes on Meaning

• Primary Meaning: In modern Vietnamese, "sắc mạo" is a technical medical term. Its everyday use is very rare.
• Historical/Literary Meaning: In classical or literary contexts, the word can be parsed into its Sino-Vietnamese components "sắc" (color, countenance) and "mạo" (appearance, look), but this decomposed meaning is archaic. The contemporary, standard meaning is the unified medical term "habitus".

1. (y học) Habitus