Definition

1. Noun:
   • Squirrel: A small to medium-sized rodent belonging to the family Sciuridae, typically having a bushy tail, living in trees, and known for its agility and quick movements. It commonly eats nuts, seeds, and fruits.
   • Village (Khmer context): The smallest administrative or residential unit among the Khmer ethnic minority communities in Southern Vietnam, equivalent to a hamlet or village.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Animal):
  • Con sóc đang nhảy từ cành cây này sang cành cây khác. (The squirrel is jumping from one tree branch to another.)
  • Đuôi của con sóc rất xù và dài. (The squirrel's tail is very bushy and long.)
• Noun (Settlement):
  • Gia đình anh ấy sống ở một sóc của người Khmer. (His family lives in a Khmer village.)
  • Sóc này có khoảng năm mươi hộ gia đình. (This village has about fifty households.)

Advanced Usage

• "Nhanh như sóc": An idiom meaning "as fast as a squirrel," used to describe someone or something that moves very quickly or is very agile.
  • Đứa bé chạy nhanh như sóc. (The child runs as fast as a squirrel.)
• The term "sóc" for a Khmer village is specific to the cultural and administrative context of Southern Vietnam and is not used for villages of other ethnic groups.

Variants and Related Words

• Họ sóc (Sciuridae): The scientific family name for squirrels.
• Sóc bay (Flying squirrel): Refers to species of squirrels that can glide between trees.
• Sóc đất (Ground squirrel): Refers to squirrel species that primarily live on the ground.

Synonyms

• For the animal: Con vật gặm nhấm có đuôi xù (a bushy-tailed rodent). (Note: There is no perfect single-word synonym in Vietnamese; descriptions are used.)
• For the settlement: Làng, ấp, bản (village, hamlet). These are general terms, while "sóc" is ethnically specific.

Related Phrases (if applicable)

• Sống ở sóc: To live in a Khmer village.
  • Nhiều thế hệ gia đình họ đã sống ở sóc này. (Many generations of their family have lived in this village.)

Related Idioms

• Nhảy như sóc: To jump around like a squirrel; to be very restless or energetic.
  • Cậu bé nghịch ngợm nhảy như sóc trên ghế. (The mischievous boy was jumping around like a squirrel on the chair.)

noun

1. squirrel